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Qatar Authorities Thwart PEN Prison Visit with al-Ajami
PEN representatives were denied access to jailed poet Mohammed al-Ajami this week after Qatar’s highest court upheld the poet’s 15-year sentence on Monday. Al-Ajami remains in solitary confinement two… More
Where is the Imprisoned Kazakh Poet Aron Atabek?
PEN International is deeply concerned by news that the poet and social activist Aron Atabek has been transferred from a high security prison in the city of Arkalyk to… More
PEN Protests Kerim Yildiz’s Visa Delay
Kerim Yildiz, a British citizen and leading human rights advocate for the Kurdish people, has been waiting more than nineteen months for a visa to travel to the United… More
The Humbug
"The Philosophy of Composition” is a lovely little essay, but, as Poe himself admitted, it’s a bit of jiggery-pokery, too. More
Spill Split
I am sentimental, but continue to be surprised by how quickly an event, while / retreating into the past, gains its nostalgia. More
Larry Kramer honored by PEN, HBO at Literary Awards Ceremony
For the writers of PEN, the defense of free expression and human rights is not a task but an inspiration. It's no coincidence that many of the writers whose… More
Nigerian writers face climate of intimidation, censorship and repression
In anticipation of Nigeria's review yesterday at the United National Human Rights Council, PEN International released a statement in conjunction with the International Publishers Association expressing concern for the… More
The Slippery Slope of Self-Censorship in China
Many Chinese authors refuse to self-censor at great personal risk to themselves and their families. In the first half of 2013, there were 33 Chinese writers languishing in… More
PEN American Center Protests Fifteen-Year Prison Sentence for Qatari Poet
Al Ajami was arrested in 2011 on charges of “inciting the overthrow of the ruling system” and insulting the emir after a video of him reading an original poem… More
Dead Money: Pfizer, Cisco, and Other Value Traps
No one knew the rules. No one knew they’d have to cut off their tongues to keep those little machines of fire going, incinerating the moons and white… More
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