Imprisoned Ukraine Journalist Vladyslav Yesypenko To be Honored with 2022 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award May 23
"As the world stands in awe of the courage and determination of the Ukrainian people, we are proud to honor Vladyslav Yesypenko, whose career has stood for fearless truthtelling… More
Statement: Florida Rejection of Math Textbooks Raises Question Over Whether Politics Guided Decision
"The Florida Department of Education's rejection of 41 percent of math textbooks submitted to the state--including 71 percent of textbooks for grades K-5-- on the grounds that they include… More
Outdoor Evening Poetry Reading April 21 Celebrates Cuban Artist Raul Cordero’s Art Installation “THE POEM” in NYC
The evening will feature short readings from poets Jaime Manrique, Eloisa Amezcua, Melissa Lozada-Oliva, and Maya Pope, and a vigil in solidarity with artists targeted by the Cuban government… More
Statement: Publisher’s Decision to Pull “Bad and Boujee” Book is “Misguided and Regrettable”
"When debates over books and authors have a racial dimension, they can get heated quickly because they tap into long histories of exclusion and marginalization of people of color… More
PEN America Demands Release of Russian Artist Alexandra Skochilenko, Arrested for Replacing Supermarket Price Labels with Anti-War Messages
“While the Russian authorities have been cracking down on artistic expression for years, the outbreak of the war has resulted in an exponentially more perilous environment for artists. They… More
New PEN America Report Shows Journalists are Alarmed, Overwhelmed, and Changing their Approaches, Amid the Disinformation Surge
“Readers trust journalists to stand as a bulwark against falsehoods. PEN America’s survey findings show that their ability to deliver the accurate news citizens need to make informed decisions… More
Human Rights Advocate Liesl Gerntholtz Joins PEN America as Inaugural Director of the PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Center
PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel said: "We are delighted to have Liesl Gerntholtz join PEN America to spearhead our global work to defend writers and confront mounting threats to… More
PEN America 2021 Freedom to Write Index: Myanmar Joins China and Saudi Arabia as World’s Top Jailers of Writers
During 2021, Myanmar accounted for the single-largest increase of writers and public intellectuals newly jailed for exercising free expression, due to the military junta’s crackdown on influential voices. More
PEN America Statement on the Death of Reza Baraheni: A Legacy of “Courage and Defiance”
PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel said: "The international writing community has lost a giant of free expression and human rights with the death of former PEN Canada president, author,… More
PEN America Calls Kidnapping of Ukrainian Writer Volodymyr Vakulenko “Horrifying”
“The kidnapping of Volodymyr Vakulenko and his son Vitalii is simply horrific,” said Polina Sadovskaya, director of Eurasia Programs at PEN America. “It is crucial that the investigation into… More