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The PEN Ten with Roxane Gay
Do writers have a collective purpose? I'm not sure, but what we do is write the world as we see it. We witness and record and remember and when… More
Giving Thanks for Books
In honor of Thanksgiving this week, we asked PEN staff and interns, "For what book are you most thankful?" Their answers—and reasons them—varied widely to include religious texts, momentos… More
Writing About Children and War
Since children are the most vulnerable citizens of any society, it seems rather obvious that they are the citizens most likely to be negatively affected by war. Until very… More
Tunisia: Blogger Denied Pardon
PEN continues to call for the immediate and unconditional release of blogger Jabeur Mejri, whose seven-and-a-half year sentence for expressing allegedly blasphemous views online was confirmed by the Court… More
Veteran Journalist Permanently Released, Newspaper Re-Opened
PEN welcomes the permanent release of Rodney Sieh, founder and editor of the award-winning newspaper FrontPageAfrica. More
Where Impunity Reigns: An Interview with Oluwafiropo Ewenla of Nigerian PEN
In honor of the International Day to End Impunity, we're publishing our interview with Oluwafiropo Ewenla of Nigerian PEN about free expression in Nigeria, human rights, and his trip… More
James Joyce: Past Imperfect (1800-1882)
Consequently for him, as time went by, the past was more immediate than the present, and became the chosen playground of his fiction. More
Creativity’s Battles With Censorship
The West knows little about the cultural scene inside Iran today. Since the dawn of civilization until renascence, Iran has always been a great contributor to world's literature, art… More
2013 Literary Award Winners
PEN/Robert W. Bingham PrizeSergio De La Pava, A Naked Singularity (University of Chicago Press)PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing AwardLeonard Mlodinow, Subliminal (Pantheon) PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the EssayRobert Hass,… More
2012 Literary Award Winners
PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged FictionSusan Nussbaum for "Good Kings, Bad Kings"PEN/Robert W. Bingham PrizeVanessa Veselka, Zazen (Red Lemonade) Runner-Up:Ben Lerner, Leaving the Atocha Station (Coffee House Press) PEN/Saul Bellow Award for Achievement in… More