Letter from Salman Rushdie and Past PEN America Presidents: ‘Keep Faith in the Community That We Have Built Together’
After PEN America announced its plans for its upcoming PEN America Literary Awards and the 2024 PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature, nine former PEN America presidents came… More
Open Letter: Iranian Directors Behtash Sanaeeha & Maryam Moghadam Banned From Travel
We call on the Iranian authorities to immediately drop all charges against directors Behtash Sanaeeha and Maryam Moghadam and to lift their current travel ban. More
Chinese Authorities Must Release “Blank Paper” Protesters and Allow Free Expression on COVID-19 Pandemic
We call on the Chinese government to release Cao Zhixin (曹芷馨), Li Siqi (李思琪), Li Yuanjing (李元婧), and Zhai Dengrui (翟登蕊). More
An Open Letter in Solidarity with Ukraine One Year Since Russia’s Invasion
We write to express our collective condemnation of Russia’s multi-pronged war against the Ukrainian people and culture. More
Joint statement calling for the release of unlawfully detained Iranian poets and writers
The continuing persecution and prosecution of Iranian writers constitute clear violations of their freedom of speech, and freedom of conscience, as protected by Iran’s own laws and its legal… More
Joint letter calling for release of Arash Ganji and other IWA members in Iran
PEN America and its allies call on the Supreme Leader of Iran to urgently release filmmaker and poet Baktash Abtin and all unjustly detained for their writing or expression. More
Letter to President Droupadi Murmu on India’s 75th Anniversary of Independence
On India’s 75th anniversary of independence, writers and creatives urge Indian President Droupadi Murmu to defend free expression in India. More
China: PEN Centers Call for Xu Zhiyong’s Immediate Release
PEN America, PEN International, and the Independent Chinese PEN Center (ICPC) call on the Chinese government release Xu Zhiyong. More
International Groups Call on Turkey’s Parliament to Reject the “Disinformation” Bill as a Tool of Digital Censorship
PEN America joins international calls for Turkey’s parliament to reject the “disinformation” bill as a tool of digital censorship. More
Rights Groups to Iran: Drop charges against human rights activist Hossein Ronaghi
PEN America joins human rights groups in calling on Iranian authorities to drop charges against writer-activist Hossein Ronaghi. More