Molding the Violent Passion
Thai poet Mainueng K. Kunthee was shot and killed on April 23, 2014. He wrote his poem "Molding the Passion" in 2010 as the military started its ongoing crack… More
Poet Murdered; Concern Mounts for Safety of Writers
Six weeks after the murder of prominent "Red-Shirt" poet Mainueng K. Kunthee, who was shot dead on April 23, 2014, by unknown assailants, freedom of expression is severely… More
Thai Junta Targets Writers and Scholars
PEN American Center calls upon the Thai military to immediately rescind its order for individual writers and scholars to turn themselves in, and to end all restrictions on freedom… More
Editor Sentenced to 11 Years for Allegedly Defamatory Articles
PEN International protests the harsh sentence handed down to Somyot Pruekasemsuk, editor of a political magazine, for publishing two articles in 2010 deemed defamatory to Thailand's monarchy. More
Writer Received Royal Pardon
International PEN welcomes the release of Australian writer Harry Nicolaides, who was granted a Royal pardon on February 19, 2009, and is now back in Australia. More
Writer Sentenced for Insulting the Monarchy
International PEN protests the three-year prison sentence handed down to Australian writer Harry Nicolaides for "lèse-majesté" (insulting the monarchy) in his 2005 novel Verisimilitude. More
Writer Detained for Insulting the Monarchy
International PEN is seriously concerned about the detention of Australian writer Harry Nicolaides, who is charged with “lèse-majesté”or “insulting the monarchy” for his 2005 novel Verisimilitude. More
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PEN America On 
"Like most Americans, you might believe books have a settled status in our culture—that even if they contain sexual material, they’re protected by the #FirstAmendment," writes @dankois.
Now, Republicans in VA are asking a judge to change US obscenity law. https://slate.com/culture/2022/08/book-banning-republicans-gender-queer-obscenity-supreme-court.html
“When we read these books... everyone is in agreement that (they) are very educational and should be allowed in our classrooms,” says Vandegrift High School Banned Book Club co-founder Alyssa Hoy. "They start very tough conversations that need to be had.” https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/how-teens-are-pushing-back-on-book-bans
A teacher in Florida wanted to inspire Black children with pictures of Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, Colin Powell and George Washington Carver.
He has resigned because, he alleges, a district employee removed the pictures as "age inappropriate."
https://www.pnj.com/story/news/local/escambia-county/2022/08/10/escambia-county-florida-teacher-said-pictures-black-american-leaders-removed-his-class/10276112002
