The PEN Ten with Mychal Denzel Smith
What we are compelled to believe is based on our relationship to power…my work navigates truth by understanding it as a struggle to reshape power. More
The M Word Stories: Kaighla Um Dayo
I feel worried that if I were to be too human, too real, to have a bad day here and there, it would reflect poorly on the entire… More
PEN Nepal: Increasing Access to Literature for Young Readers
The key free expression challenges faced by PEN Nepal are limited sources of income...physical dangers faced by writers, and impunity faced by those who are engaged in violence against… More
The M Word Stories: Bayan Abubakr (Part 2)
I have a responsibility to speak out about my experiences, especially since I am at such a unique and nuanced position as a black Muslim woman, to share a… More
Norwegian PEN: Overcoming Free Expression Challenges Globally
I would say there is a tendency to write in an autobiographical manner. This is an old tradition, from a stream of bohemian literature in the 1890s. Proponents would… More
The PEN Ten with Kamilah Aisha Moon
Facts seem immutable, but they are used to construct reality and serve experience, which varies so widely and seems inextricably tied to what one believes. More
The M Word Stories: Yusuf Siddiquee
You can relate to being unfairly singled out for having a different religion, culture...But more importantly, you are a part of a super diverse community that transcends the aforementioned… More
The PEN Ten with Carmen Maria Machado
Government censorship is never acceptable. Private organizations have the right to dictate what sorts of ideas they want to host or sponsor, and should be held accountable for those… More
The PEN Ten with Natalie Graham
I find myself thinking the responsibility is to reveal a thing the most beautiful way. Beauty is a trap, but I can't think of what else the writer is… More
The PEN Ten with Carlina Duan
There is a responsibility that I owe to myself, and to a lineage of my loved ones and those who came before us to actively resist, to protest, to… More