PEN America Speaks: How We Defended and Celebrated Free Expression This Week
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. More
PEN America supports challenge to DeSantis’ ‘Stop WOKE’ law
PEN America filed an Amicus brief in Honeyfund v. DeSantis, saying the law had a “profound chilling effect,” not only on employers like Honeyfund, but on educators across the… More
Oklahoma teacher is still fighting book bans, now from Brooklyn
Summer Boismier lost her job after she gave students a QR code to the Brooklyn Public Library’s Books Unbanned project. Now she’s helping teens fight book bans. More
Book Lovers Stage Read-In at State Capitol for ‘Let Utah Read’
PEN America was among the organizers of the protest against a rise in book bans in Utah. More
Laws restricting drag shows should scare everyone who believes in free expression
A wave of bills restricting free expression is building in state legislatures. This time, the target is drag performances. More
PEN America 2022 in Review: How We Defended Free Expression
In PEN America’s 100th year, our mission was as vital as ever. We celebrated words, and we fought for the right to be heard. With your help, we can… More
PEN America delegation to Ukraine bears witness to bravery of writers and citizens
A delegation from PEN America that included prominent writers Barbara Demick, Dave Eggers, and Peter Godwin visited Kyiv and witnessed the resilience of Ukrainian artists and writers. More
Rising Restrictions on Artistic Freedom in Africa Linked to Political Crises, Flawed Elections and Covid
“Over the last few years in Africa, we have witnessed disturbing attacks on artists from around the continent, accompanied by widespread and pernicious efforts to dampen the right to… More
“Deeply Disappointing” That Biden Administration is Shielding Saudi Crown Prince from Accountibility in Murder of Journalist Jamal Khashoggi
"After promises of seeking justice for Jamal Khashoggi's murder, it is deeply disappointing to see the Biden Administration take the voluntary step of shielding Mohamed bin Salman from accountability for this egregious… More
New Campaign Spotlights the Stories of Imprisoned Cuban Artists
“Dissident artists in Cuba have emerged on the frontlines of the protest movement in the country, using their platforms as creators to challenge the false narratives created by the… More
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PEN America On 
FL book ban deep dive. https://twitter.com/PENamerica/status/1621508379586985985
Apply by February 10.
Our next PEN OUT LOUD event is happening 7pm Feb 7 at @ptknitwear in NYC!
Don't miss @_joseolivarez discussing his new poetry collection, Promises of Gold with NYT-bestselling author of Dirtbag, Massachusetts: A Confessional, @IsaacFitzgerald.
Details: https://pen.org/event/pen-out-loud-jose-olivarez-with-isaac-fitzgerald/