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2026 Literary Hosts

2026 Literary Hosts

Graphic with PEN America Literary Gala, May 14, 2026, American Museum of Natural History in bold letters on a blue background, surrounded by geometric book icons.
  • A middle-aged man in a blue suit and tie smiles slightly, standing in a well-lit office with artwork and framed photographs in the background.

    Kwame Anthony Appiah

    Kwame Anthony Appiah teaches philosophy at NYU, in New York and Abu Dhabi. He’s written three novels and many works of philosophy. His most recent…

  • A woman with wavy brown hair wearing a green sweater and blue jeans sits on a stool, smiling at the camera with her hands clasped in front of her against a plain white background.

    Zaina Arafat

    Zaina Arafat is a Palestinian American writer and the author of the novel You Exist Too Much, which won a 2021 Lambda Literary Award.

  • A woman with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing glasses, a black blazer, and a white blouse, stands smiling against a white wall in a sunlit corridor with columns.

    Marie Arana

    Marie Arana is a Peruvian-American author of nonfiction and fiction, senior advisor to two U.S. Librarians of Congress, the inaugural literary director of the Library…

  • Black and white portrait of an older man with gray hair and glasses, wearing a suit jacket and collared shirt, looking thoughtfully toward the camera with a neutral background.

    Griffin Dunne

    While known for starring in such iconic films as AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON and producing and starring in Martin Scorsese’s AFTER HOURS, Golden Globe…

  • A woman with long blonde hair and a green patterned sleeveless top stands indoors near a window, with natural light illuminating her face and a stone wall visible in the background.

    Jennifer Finney Boylan

    JENNIFER FINNEY BOYLAN is the author of 18 books, including Mad Honey, co-authored with Jodi Picoult. Her memoir, She’s Not There was the first bestselling…

  • A woman with dark hair wearing a navy jacket, jeans, and red striped socks sits on a wooden floor against a white brick wall, resting her hand on her head and looking at the camera.

    Rivka Galchen

    Rivka Galchen is the award-winning author of five books, most recently the novel Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch. She is a staff writer…

  • A middle-aged man with shoulder-length gray hair and a beard stands in front of a bookshelf filled with books. He wears a dark jacket and looks at the camera with a neutral expression.

    Peter Godwin

    Peter Godwin, newly-elected President of PEN American Center and 2010 Guggenheim fellow, is an award winning foreign correspondent, author, documentary filmmaker, and screenwriter. Born and…

  • Smiling older man with short gray hair wearing a light blue plaid shirt, sitting indoors in front of a light-colored background.

    Carl Hiaasen

    CARL HIAASEN was born and raised in Florida. He is the author of fourteen previous novels, including the bestsellers Squeeze Me, Razor Girl, Bad Monkey,…

  • A woman with long blonde hair wearing a sleeveless black dress stands smiling with her hands clasped in front of her against a plain white background.

    Elin Hilderbrand

    Elin Hilderbrand is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University and the University of Iowa Writers Workshop. The Thoroughbreds is her thirty-second novel, and the…

  • A smiling older man in a gray sweater stands on a balcony with potted plants, overlooking a street with iron railings and brick buildings, possibly in a historic district.

    Walter Isaacson

    Walter Isaacson is the bestselling author of biographies of Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, Steve Jobs, Jennifer Doudna, and Elon Musk. He is…

  • A woman with long black hair sits at a table against a plain background, resting her chin on her left hand. She wears a black top and looks thoughtfully at the camera.

    Katie Kitamura

    Katie Kitamura is a critic and novelist based in New York City. She is the author of The Longshot (2009) and Gone to the Forest…

  • A man with short dark hair and a beard wears a leather jacket over a white shirt, standing outdoors with trees and sunlight in the blurred background.

    Phil Klay

    Phil Klay is a novelist and essayist.

  • A woman with long dark hair wearing a black blazer and a turquoise pendant stands in front of a stone wall, looking slightly to the side with a neutral expression.

    Nicole Krauss

    Nicole Krauss has been called “one of American’s most important novelists and an international literary sensation” by the New York Times, “a contemporary master,” by…

  • Black and white portrait of a person with short curly hair, wearing dark-rimmed glasses, a patterned button-up shirt, and a small earring, standing in front of a light-colored stone wall.

    Amitava Kumar

    Amitava Kumar’s books of nonfiction include Husband of a Fanatic, A Foreigner Carrying in the Crook of His Arm a Tiny Bomb, and A Matter…

  • A bald man with a trimmed beard rests his face on his hand, looking thoughtfully at the camera. He wears a blue jacket over a striped shirt, with a neutral gray background.

    Hari Kunzru

    Hari Kunzru is the author of the novels The Impressionist, Transmission, and My Revolutions, and is the recipient of the Somerset Maugham Award, the Betty…

  • A woman with short dark hair and glasses, wearing a black blouse and light pants, sits indoors with her hands clasped around her knees, looking up and smiling softly against a wooden background.

    Yiyun Li

    Yiyun Li is the author of twelve books of fiction and nonfiction, including the most recent, Things in Nature Merely Grow.

  • A woman with long dark hair and glasses stands outdoors against a blurred green background, wearing a black shirt with a colorful floral pattern, looking calmly at the camera.

    Megha Majumdar

    Megha Majumdar is the author of the bestselling novel A Guardian and a Thief, which is an Oprah’s Book Club pick, a finalist for the…

  • A woman with fair skin and brown hair stands outdoors in front of green foliage, wearing a navy blue blouse, circular earrings, and a long necklace with a round pendant. She looks calmly at the camera with her hands clasped.

    Rebecca Makkai

    Rebecca Makkai is the author of the New York Times bestselling I Have Some Questions For You as well as four other works of fiction.…

  • A woman with wavy brown hair, wearing a tan coat and gold jewelry, sits smiling with her arms crossed in a bright, blurred indoor setting.

    Karen Mehiel

    Karen Mehiel is an activist who believes deeply in giving back. She is the founder of FLOK NYC, a community space rooted in love, kindness,…

  • A woman with light skin and white hair wears a black beret and black top. She gazes softly at the camera, resting one hand on her shoulder against a neutral background.

    Susan Minot

    Susan Minot is the author of nine books. She writes novels, short stories, poems, films, plays and non-fiction. Her first book Monkeys (1986) received France’s Prix…

  • A woman with long braided hair, wearing gold hoop earrings and a blue and yellow patterned top, stands against a plain gray background, looking confidently at the camera.

    Natalie Y. Moore

    Natalie Y. Moore is a senior lecturer and director of audio journalism programming. The Chicago native is known for her reporting on segregation and inequality.…

  • A man wearing a black blazer, red shirt, and a woven fedora hat looks at the camera with a neutral expression. The background is simple, featuring black and white areas.

    Walter Mosley

    Walter Mosley is the author of more than 46 critically acclaimed books. Mosley’s books have been adapted for film and television with new projects in…

  • A woman with medium-dark skin and shoulder-length locs, wearing large hoop earrings and a dark, collared top, looks confidently at the camera against a plain brown background.

    Lynn Nottage

    Lynn Nottage is a playwright and a screenwriter, and the first woman in history to win two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama. Her recent work includes Floyd’s (Guthrie) and…

  • An older person with short gray hair and red eyeglasses, wearing a red top and black jacket, poses with a slight smile against a softly blurred, dark background.

    Sigrid Nunez

    Sigrid Nunez has published six novels, including A Feather on the Breath of God, The Last of Her Kind, and most recently Salvation City. She…

  • A middle-aged man with short gray hair and a salt-and-pepper beard looks at the camera with a neutral expression. He is wearing a dark sweater over a gray shirt against a plain, dark background.

    Joseph O’Neill

    Joseph O’Neill is the author of five novels, including Netherland (PEN/Faulkner Prize for Fiction) and, most recently, Godwin (Finalist, National Book Critics Circle Award). He…

  • A woman with shoulder-length light brown hair smiles at the camera. She is wearing a dark top and a colorful, floral-patterned scarf. The background is softly blurred with arched windows.

    Krystyna Poray Goddu

    Krystyna Poray Goddu is author of the middle-grade biographies Becoming Emily: The Life of Emily Dickinson; A Girl Called Vincent: The Life of Poet Edna…

  • A person with short curly brown hair, wearing a red sweater, sits at a blue table indoors, resting their head on one hand and smiling softly at the camera. Warm and colorful room background.

    Rachel Reid

    Rachel Reid is the New York Times and international bestselling author of the Game Changers series, which has been adapted into the smash hit television…

  • A middle-aged person with short gray hair and black glasses, wearing a plaid shirt and dark sweater, stands outdoors near grass, rocks, and a pond.

    Patrick Ryan

    Patrick Ryan’s novel, Buckeye, is a New York Times bestseller, a Read with Jenna pick, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, a…

  • A woman with long, light brown hair and a black top sits indoors, looking at the camera with a neutral expression. The background is blurred and softly lit.

    Tara Westover

    Tara Westover is a memoirist, essayist, and historian. Her first book, Educated (2018), debuted at #1 on the New York Times best seller list and…