PEN America and International Publishers Association Joint Statement: Myanmar’s Closing of Third Publishing House Appears to Represent a New Onslaught Against Literary and Creative Content
“Closing these publishing houses is a gross misuse of the judicial system and outdated, restrictive laws to prosecute individuals and businesses for producing or disseminating written content,” said Karin… More
Margaret Atwood Unveils Fireproof Copy of Bestseller The Handmaid’s Tale To Be Auctioned by Sotheby’s in Support of PEN America
‘Powerful Words Can Never Be Extinguished’ (NEW YORK)--Nearly 700 supporters of PEN America's work to defend free expression reacted with cheers and applause at the organization's annual gala tonight after… More
Can the Written Word Make a Difference, as Global Threats Mount?
Writers Reflect on Peril at PEN America’s Emergency Congress of Writers By Suzanne Trimel Can the power of the written word meaningfully bring about change in a world threatened by… More
Book Banning In Walton County Based On Misleading “Porn In Schools Report” Illustrates Alarming Influence Of Fringe Groups On Educational Censorship
School districts like Walton are letting bigoted, unfounded claims dictate access to literature for all Last week, reports circulated that Walton County School District in Florida decided to remove a… More
Letter to Hinds County School District Regarding Termination of Assistant Principal Toby Price
PEN America today sent a follow up letter to the officials of the Hinds County School District, concerning the ongoing adjudication of the decision to terminate former Gary Road… More
For Educational Gag Orders, The Vagueness Is The Point
We find that instead of clarifying the laws, guidance documents have muddied the waters, further eroding academic freedom and students’ right to learn. More
PEN America & FIRE Object to New Restrictions of Free Expression for Mississippi Professors
Today, PEN America and the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) sent a joint letter to the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Education Board of Trustees (IHL) opposing recent changes to… More
Educational Gag Orders Seek to Enforce Compulsory Patriotism
Three New Bills Become Law in Florida, Mississippi, and South Dakota Monthly Roundup, March This post is part of a series from PEN America tracking the progress of educational gag orders… More
PEN America Launches Utah Chapter
PEN America Launches its Eighth U.S. Chapter in Utah on March 29 to bring together authors and allies to advance the organization’s mission to defend free expression and celebrate… More
PEN Pals: Fatima Shaik Interviews Cheryl Willis Hudson
"We have unique histories, songs, stories, and languages but far too many people refer to us in biased and inaccurate ways." More