PEN America Calls for the Immediate Acquittal and Release of Mongolian Activist Munkhbayar Chuluundorj Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Protesting China-Mongolia Relations
“The harsh and unjust verdict in Munkhbayar Chuluundorj’s trial is a grave violation of the fundamental right to free expression,” says Liesl Gerntholtz, director of the PEN/Barbey Freedom to… More
New Financial Help to Sustain Ukraine Artists, as War Tears Apart Their Creative Practice
Julie Trebault, ARC director, said: “The war in Ukraine has torn apart the lives of Ukrainians, including many artists, who, despite the brutality, have lent their talent and courage… More
Jenny Holzer Art Installation to Light Up Rockefeller Center Buildings with Prose in Celebration of PEN America’s 100th Birthday, Starting Wed., 9/14
The outdoor installation, titled SPEECH ITSELF, will include quotes from more than 60 authors in a visual tribute to the right to express ourselves freely. Among the authors whose… More
Concern Raised Over Censorship Threat Against Netflix, Disney from Saudi Arabia, Gulf Neighbors
“These calls are unfortunately no surprise coming from regimes all too accustomed to censoring the stories and ideas their own citizens can access. But their attempt to inflict that… More
Celebrated Authors Gather Mon., Sept. 12 for “Words on Fire: Writing, Freedom, and the Future”
MEDIA ADVISORY (NEW YORK) — PEN America presents Words on Fire: Writing, Freedom, and the Future, an afternoon of urgent public conversation on the issues that drive the world’s leading… More
Missouri Attorney General’s Request for Journalism Professors’ Emails Is a Brazen Attack on Academic Freedom
Jeremy C. Young, senior manager of free expression and education programs at PEN America, said in response to the news: “Attorney General Schmitt's request for the emails of two… More
Arrest of Nevada Government Official in Journalist’s Killing is “Deeply Disturbing”
(NEW YORK)-- In response to the arrest of Clark County (NV) Public Administrator Robert Telles in the stabbing death of Las Vegas Review-Journal investigative reporter Jeff German, PEN America… More
Nineteen Writers Win Coveted Awards in 2022 Prison Writing Contest
Caits Meissner, director of PEN America's Prison and Justice Writing program, said: "This year's submissions underscore the extraordinary resilience, individuality, and indomitable artistry of writers inside prisons. These indispensable… More
PEN America Responds to Israeli Defense Force Probe in Killing of Al Jazeera Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh: “Too Little, Too Late”
Liesl Gerntholtz, director of the PEN/Barbey Freedom To Write Center at PEN America, stated: “The IDF’s investigation into the tragic shooting of Shireen Abu Akleh comes far too late… More
PEN America Condemns Sentencing of Myanmar Writer-Activist Wai Moe Naing and Calls for His Release
“The sentencing of Wai Moe Naing following months of arbitrary detention and an unfair trial blatantly flouts international judicial standards and reveals the Myanmar junta’s deliberate effort to silence… More