Marking World Press Freedom Day May 1, PEN America Screens New Documentary and Talkback with Director-Journalist On Covering Besieged Mariupol
20 Days in Mariupol is the first feature-length documentary by AP reporter Mstyslav Chernov, an AP war correspondent and photographer for decades. He presents an unflinching account of the… More
PEN America Reacts to the Passing of Artist-Activist Harry Belafonte
Suzanne Nossel, CEO of PEN America, made the following statement about the passing of Harry Belafonte: "Having had the privilege of collaborating with Harry Belafonte to advance human rights I… More
PEN America Demands the Immediate Release of Kurdish Rapper Saman Yasin After Request for Amnesty Was Denied
"Our hearts go out to Yasin and his family and friends, and we urge the Iranian authorities to grant him amnesty and release him from prison at once,” said… More
New Report: 28% Rise in School Book Bans Over First Half of 2022-23 School Year
“The heavy-handed tactics of state legislators are mandating book bans, plain and simple,” said Suzanne Nossel, Chief Executive Officer of PEN America. “Some politicians like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis… More
PEN America, in Partnership with Bard College, Establishes Digital Archive to Preserve Independent Reporting by Russian Journalists During Vladimir Putin’s Rule
“Accountability and accurate narrative depend on reliable witnesses who stand against propaganda efforts to reinterpret the past. Brave, determined independent journalists have worked under tremendous constraints on press freedom… More
PEN America’s World Voices Festival Presents Conversations in Los Angeles with Great Writers, Thinkers, Artists, and Activists May 10-13
Allison Lee, PEN America’s Los Angeles managing director, said: “Bringing writers and creatives together with perspectives from across the globe makes this annual literary festival uniquely inspiring and aligned… More
Announcing PEN America’s 18th Annual World Voices Festival, May 10-13 in New York City and Los Angeles
Ta-Nehisi Coates, a MacArthur “genius” grant honoree, will deliver the festival’s keynote, the annual Arthur Miller Freedom to Write Lecture, May 11 at the New School on the book… More
PEN America Honors Tina Fey, Vinod Kumar Shukla, Erika Dickerson-Despenza, and 11 Authors and Translators at 2023 Literary Awards Hosted by Kal Penn
Tina Fey said: “As a 52-year-old woman who’s been living in New York and writing comedy for 30 years, there aren’t too many rooms anymore where I feel like… More
PEN AMERICA CONVENES LITERARY, ENTERTAINMENT, AND MEDIA LUMINARIES FOR 2023 PEN AMERICA LITERARY AWARDS, “THE OSCARS FOR BOOKS,” THURS., 3/2, THE TOWN HALL, NYC
MEDIA ALERT (NEW YORK)—PEN America presents the 2023 PEN America Literary Awards, a momentous celebration of the past year’s best writing, March 2 at The Town Hall in New York… More
TWELVE EMERGING WRITERS TO RECEIVE PEN/ROBERT J. DAU SHORT STORY PRIZE
(NEW YORK)— Twelve debut writers chosen for originality, craft and subject urgency were announced today as winners of the $2000 PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers.… More