2022 PEN America Literary Gala

6:00pm: VIP Reception | 6:30pm: Cocktail Reception | 7:30pm: Dinner & Awards

The annual PEN America Literary Gala is a highlight of the New York literary and social calendars, with hundreds of guests and an exceptional group of leading writers who sit among them as Literary Hosts. Every year, it is an inspiring, exhilarating, moving event; we promise an unforgettable evening, and it never falls short. The proceeds from this dinner are crucial to PEN America’s dynamic cultural programming and critical advocacy work on behalf of free expression.

On October 5, 2021, after an 18-month pause, we held our first in-person gala with more than 500 guests in attendance and an illustrious lineup of honorees and special guests, including Henry Louis Gates Jr., Robert A. Iger, health officials Mimi Hall and Gail Newel, and three imprisoned Iranian writers. This year, we look forward celebrating together in person, under the whale at the American Museum of Natural History.

Honorees and special guests are soon to be announced!