PEN America Expands Support to Children’s Books Authors, with Rising Book Bans
“The banning of books is continuing to take a toll on authors, students, and families,” said Kasey Meehan, program director, Freedom to Read at PEN America. “It’s vital that… More
Scholastic Urged to Explore Other Options Instead of Limiting or Partitioning Diverse Book Titles At School Book Fairs
Despite the challenges of this climate, we call on Scholastic to explore other solutions so they can reject any role in accommodating these nefarious laws and local pressures, or… More
Texas Law Requiring Book Ratings for “Sexual Relevance” in Schools Spurs Lawsuit
Jonathan Friedman, director, Free Expression and Education program, at PEN America, said: "This law is clearly an effort to intimidate publishers and police the circulation of ideas and information.… More
Twelve PEN America 2023 Emerging Voices Fellows Selected from Largest Applicant Pool Ever for Third Consecutive Year
Jared Jackson, director, Literary Programs and Emerging Voices, said: “This year’s amazing cohort of fellows explore issues and ideas including disability, acceptance, immigration, resistance, sex, gender, colonialism, industrialization, surveillance,… More
PEN America: “Regrettable” that Elizabeth Gilbert Delayed Publication of New Novel Set in Russia
"It is regrettable that Elizabeth Gilbert felt it necessary to delay the publication of a novel set in Russia. Ukrainians have suffered immeasurably, and Gilbert's decision in the face of online… More
New PEN America Manifesto on Translation: A Call for Change to Counter Historic Racial and Gender Inequities in the 21st Century
Allison Markin Powell, a member of the Translation Committee who led the group that drafted the manifesto, said: “The manifesto’s call to action emphasizes that translation is a form… More
PEN America Urges Tennessee Gov. Lee to Reject Legislation that Would Subject Publishers and Book Distributors to Criminal Penalties for ‘Obscene Materials’ Sent to Public Schools
Jonathan Friedman, director of PEN America’s Free Expression and Education program, issued the following comments on the bill: "Regardless of what the supporters of this law say, it serves little… More
A Celebration of Salman Rushdie and His New Novel Victory City for Readers on Both Sides of the Atlantic
By Suzanne Trimel (NEW YORK)—PEN America, PEN Canada and English PEN hosted two global literary stars, Canadian Margaret Atwood and British-born Neil Gaiman, on Thursday evening for an online conversation… More
Proposed Texas Law Would Force Publishers to Create ‘Age Appropriate’ Ratings for School Library Books
“This is a dangerous escalation in the movement to censor public education. In a very short time, those who advocate for school censorship have gone from trying to control… More
New PEN America Report: Deep and Persistent Obstacles in Publishing Houses Impede Greater Diversity in Terms of Authors and Stories Told
“Publishers are the curators of America’s stories,” said Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf, chief program officer for PEN America’s Literary Programs. “They are gatekeepers who decide whose stories will be told… More