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 announced the World Voices Festival lineup, happening over four days from April 30 to May 3 in New York City and Los Angeles. In its 20th year, the festival includes more than 80 authors from 35 countries and includes Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Jennifer Egan, Guadalupe Netter, M. Gessen, and Ava DuVernay among others. More info and tickets here.
- PEN America announced the finalists for the 2025 Literary Awards including honorees Mia Couto, Mona Mansour, and Charles H. Rowell. The ceremony will take place on May 8 and will be hosted by Emmy award-winning television host, journalist, and bestselling author Tamron Hall. Read the full list here and our press release here.
- PEN America also announced that late night comedy star and writer Amber Ruffin will host the annual gala on May 15. PEN America also announced that Wesleyan University President Michael S. Roth will receive the PEN/Benenson Courage Award at the gala in recognition of his unwavering commitment to defending academic freedom. Read more here.
- PEN America filed a “friend of the court” brief, together with the ACLU of Maryland, in a case challenging the Trump administration’s sweeping assault on free speech and ongoing campaign to eliminate views other than those it favors on race, equality and identities in schools and universities. Read more here.
- PEN America welcomed U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden’s ruling to reinstate AP’s press access to the White House. “We welcome today’s decision as this ruling makes clear that reporters cannot be subject to the whims of a White House bent on subverting free speech and intimidating journalists into ideological conformity,” said Tim Richardson, director of PEN America’s Journalism and Disinformation Program. Read our full statement here.
- PEN America filed an amicus brief in Mahmoud v. Taylor, a legal challenge before the U.S. Supreme Court brought by six Maryland parents who want to remove their children from lessons involving LGBTQ-related story books. Read more here.
- PEN America has joined a federal court in another amicus brief arguing that the Trump administration’s Executive Order targeting law firm Perkins Coie is a threat to press freedom and free expression. Read more here.
- PEN America called Florida’s bill proposing all textbooks to rename Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America an assault on the freedom of expression. Read more here.
- PEN America called the White House’s decision to withhold at least two press pool reports from news outlets a blatant form of censorship. “The White House must end this censorship immediately and restore the public’s right to know,” said Tim Richardson, Journalism and Disinformation Program director at PEN America. Read our full statement here.
- PEN America was featured in The Washington Post’s Book Club newsletter by Ron Charles about book banning in the naval academy. Read it here.
- Authors Laurie Halse Anderson and vice president of Random House, Jamia Wilson came together at the Swedish Residence in New York to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Pippi Longstocking, the iconic Swedish character. We met with the authors before the event. Read our interviews with Anderson and Wilson.
- For the PEN Ten interview this week, we spoke to author and journalist Vauhini Vara about her latest book, Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age. Read the full interview here.
- For this week’s Shelf Love, we spoke to bestselling author Sarah MacLean. Read the full interview here.
