Literary Engagement & Activism Fund

We welcome applications from anyone outside the major coastal cities (New York City, Boston, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and Los Angeles). Individuals need not be affiliated with an institution to apply.

No. We encourage applications from PEN America Members, but we are also pleased to offer one year of complimentary membership to the project lead for each accepted proposal.

Potential formats include—but are not limited to—civic dialogues, town halls, film screenings, rallies, readings, trainings, awards for local activism, speaker and panel events, and petition drives. We are eager to consider creative ideas. Proposals may be for individual events, as well as sequenced programming.

Possibilities include:
Consequential Conversations – Staging panel discussion, workshops, talkbacks in conjunction with literary events or artistic performances, and community dialogues and town halls on critical public conversations.

Raising New Voices – Amplifying the richness, complexity, and diversity of experience within communities fighting stereotyped representation, especially but not only through the written word. Developing dialogue around how marginalized and targeted populations’ stories be brought forward to address issues of representation particular to specific communities.

Issue-Specific Programs – Convening advocacy leaders, local residents, and other community members to foster dialogue across multiple dimensions of differences in regions across the country. Programs could focus on a particular local issue of importance (e.g. LGBTQIA+ individuals in rural Appalachia, the specific challenges faced by undocumented immigrants, or representation in the local news landscape).

Workshop and Skills-Building Models for Underserved Populations – Creative writing and skills-building workshops for underserved populations, including incarcerated individuals, immigrants , and hourly wage workers.

Hometown Voices – Bringing well-known national writers and journalists to return to their hometowns to reflect on their work in the context of current ideological, cultural, and geographic divides.

Advocacy Training – Delivering skills-building sessions around local organizing, campaign building, and mounting public actions in support of marginalized communities and other issues.

No. We are ready to work with you to develop a project based on your initial ideas or the challenge you want to address. Please make contact via the application form. Don’t hesitate to reach out to [email protected] if you are interested and need help developing your ideas.

Examples of budget line-items that could be supported through the fund include travel, honoraria, venue fees, printing and material expenses, and promotion. Specific questions about other budget line-items can be directed to [email protected].

Applicants can expect to receive a decision on their proposals within 2–4 weeks. Proposals for rapid response actions will also be considered; please indicate in your program/event description if you are requesting immediate support.

Favorably reviewed applications will include a strong argument for how the project will promote dialogue across difference within the community, well-defined metrics for success, a clearly reasoned budget, support from other local partners, ability to reach diverse constituencies, and the possibility for ongoing community engagement.

Our staff includes experts on free expression, literary activism and advocacy, publicity, and public programming who will be available to coach you as needed. We can also facilitate connections to our network and membership of more than 7,300 writers, reporters, and other individuals in the media and literary communities nationwide. In certain cases, we are also able to provide guidance on potential partnerships and promotional opportunities.

For other specific questions, please contact [email protected].