PEN America works tirelessly to defend free expression, support persecuted writers, and promote literary culture. Here are some of the latest ways PEN America is speaking out.
- PEN America celebrated the reversal of the decision by Montgomery County Commission in Texas to reclassify Linda Coombs’ book, Colonization and the Wampanoag Story, from fiction back to nonfiction after groups including PEN America and Penguin Random House called for it.
- PEN America’s U.S. Free Expressions Program manager, Henry Hicks, published a guide to developing a healthier news diet. Especially at this point in history, knowing how to navigate the news landscape can also be an important tool in differentiating between fact and fabrication.
- PEN America’s Disinformation team published an explainer, The Anatomy of a Disinformation Campaign, outlining the ways false information spreads using a fictional scenario. A helpful guide for journalists, even for those not on the beat, it highlights how disinformation originates and spreads via various platforms.
- PEN America’s Disinformation team put out an election tip sheet, with pointers on how to familiarize yourself with election rules and timelines, fact-checking common narratives floating around this year, and awareness around AI-generated content.
- PEN America condemned the banning of the 2023 feature film Lyd at the al-Saraya Theater in Jaffa by Israel’s Minister of Culture and Sport, Miki Zohar on the grounds that it “slandered Israel and its soldiers”. It warned that this threatens cultural expression and urged the Israeli government to reverse the ban.
- PEN America will partner with the Banned Book Week Coalition to host a free virtual event to discuss the national surge of book bans on Sunday, October 27th at 5 pm ET. The discussion will feature an interview with Dr. Ibrahim X. Kendi by the editor in chief of The Emancipator, Jamil Smith.
- As imprisoned essayist Xu Zhiyong entered the third week of his hunger strike, PEN America urged the Chinese government to release the writer and called on the international community to speak out in favor of Xu. His protest comes after the authorities denied him communication with his family and access to writing and reading materials.
- The Free Narges Coalition, of which PEN America is a part of, released a statement condemning the six additional months of imprisonment on Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi. They demanded her immediate and unconditional release along with urgent access to medical treatment.
- Late last month, Georgian writers Ekaterina Togonidze and Lasha Bugadze, along with Taming Culture in Georgia report author Polina Sadovskaya, met with key U.S. officials and other influential figures, seeking increased support for Georgian civil society, in particular writers and cultural sectors. While in New York, Togonidze sat down for a conversation with PEN America staff about democracy and culture in Georgia. She was joined via video by PEN Georgia President Khatuna Tskhadadze.
- In a new PEN Ten, Communications Intern, Julia Goldberg talked to author Sacha Lamb about her latest young adult novel The Forbidden Book (Levine Querido, 2024). They discussed the gendered aspects of spiritual possession, their writing process, and how Yiddish literature inspired the story.
- In the latest Facts Forward, PEN America’s Journalism and Disinformation Program consultant, Mina Haq, talked to the Maggie Dennis, the vice president of community resilience and sustainability at the Wikimedia Foundation, the not-for-profit organization that hosts Wikipedia. As one of the most visited sites in the world and the go-to source for all information, Wikipedia is constantly at a threat of being the source of widespread misinformation. They discussed the unique space Wikipedia holds in fighting disinformation adn how it’s going ahead in these trying times.
