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A Stand for Democracy in the Digital Age
More than 500 writers around the world have issued an open letter calling for the right to privacy in the digital realm. More
PEN Urges Tech Companies to Support Global Government Surveillance Reform Principles
PEN American Center welcomes the announcement this morning by Apple, Google, Facebook, and other leading technology companies of an open letter calling on the U.S. government to adopt proposed… More
The PEN Ten with Karen Emmerich
The writer might have no responsibilities whatsoever, but the translator has only responsibilities—or at least that’s the popular perception. That’s why we’re always failing—according, again, to the popular perception.… More
On the Fifth Anniversary of Liu Xiaobo’s Arrest, Grave Concerns for Liu Xia
Demand the immediate release of Liu Xiaobo on the fifth anniversary of his arrest, and protest the ongoing, extralegal house arrest of his wife, Liu Xia. More
The Chains Will Shrivel into Foil
Award-winning poet Mandla Langa and board member of South African PEN writes about Mandela's enduring legacy on free expression in South Africa. More
PEN Protects Your Writing in the Cloud by Joining Coalition for ECPA Reform
The U.S. government thinks it can read your writing in the cloud without a warrant. You can help us stop them. More
from A is for Addis
When I tell people about my impending trip, I try to avoid the word “Africa,” though I can’t explain why. I am struck by the timidity, the lack of… More
Syria: What Does it Mean to be a Syrian Poet Today?
Ghost towns, devastated forests, fire-ravaged fruit groves, refugees in their millions, deaths in their hundreds of thousands, a raging war and a future without prospects. This, in a nutshell,… More
Cavafy Transformed
Cavafy sometimes rewrote early published poems, and would publish the rewrite, so that we have both versions. The difference between the early work and its later incarnation opens a… More
Liu Xia: To Feel a Life in This Prison
PEN is increasingly concerned about the health and well-being of Liu Xia, who has been held under extralegal house arrest for more than three years. Read new translations of… More