Ayad Akhtar’s Remarks at the 2021 PEN America Literary Gala
“Reading, of course, is an individual act, but a culture that fosters reading and one that supports writers, invariably compels us to presence, to protest, to celebration.” More
The PEN Pod: Navigating the Debacle in Afghanistan with Ayad Akhtar and George Packer
“Everyone who essentially used the opportunity of the last two decades to try to build a decent, better society for themselves and for Afghanistan are now under threat.” More
PEN America Announces Dramatic Expansion of Writers Emergency Fund
Today the literary and free expression organization PEN America welcomed important new resources that will allow the sustained expansion of its initiatives to support writers in dire need globally.… More
PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature Returns, Celebrating Power to the People
The literary and free expression group PEN America today announced that tickets are now on sale for the 2021 PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature, running May 18-22.… More
PEN America Mourns Death of Novelist, Former PEN America President Larry McMurtry
PEN America today mourns the death of writer Larry McMurtry, a novelist and screenwriter who served as PEN America’s President and was a staunch defender of free expression. More