PEN Pals: Fatima Shaik Interviews Cheryl Willis Hudson
"We have unique histories, songs, stories, and languages but far too many people refer to us in biased and inaccurate ways." More
PEN Pals: Margarita Engle Interviews Debbie Reese
"We have unique histories, songs, stories, and languages but far too many people refer to us in biased and inaccurate ways." More
PEN Pals: Margarita Engle and Padma Venkatraman Use Words as Bridges
“I knew that poetry could help me feel empathy and compassion as well as joy. I hoped that would be true for young readers and writers too.” More
PEN Pals: Eliot Schrefer and Padma Venkatraman on When Others Take Up the Torch
“I knew I couldn’t contribute to the cultural life of an institution that actively discriminates against its students—that didn’t want people like me to exist.” More
PEN Pals: Stacey Lee and Padma Venkatraman Discuss Books Breaking Stereotypes
“The more books representing our diverse cultures we have on our shelves, the more we can break stereotypes, and the more we can learn about our similarities as humans.” More
PEN Pals: Fatima Shaik Interviews Susan Kuklin About LGBTQ+ Books and How They Save Lives
“The library is supposed to be an inclusive institution, conceived for all, not some or a few.” More
PEN America Remembers the Extraordinary Beverly Cleary
PEN America today expressed deep sadness at the death of beloved children’s book author Beverly Cleary. More
Open Letter to Utah’s Murray City School District Officials
We urge the Murray City School District to rescind the review and suspension of “equity book bundles,” featuring diverse authors and inclusive literature. More
Writers in Residence: Cooking Gumbo Z’herbes with Fatima Shaik
Fatima Shaik teaches us how to cook delicious gumbo z’herbes. More
PEN/Phyllis Naylor Grant for Children’s and Young Adult Novelists
The PEN/Phyllis Naylor Grant for Children’s and Young Adult Novelists is offered annually and awards $5,000 to an author of children’s or young adult fiction. More
Alert Us
Are you an artist at risk or know someone who is?
PEN America On 
We are relieved to see writer #AnandTeltumbde released on bail in India after 31 months in pre-trial detention for his #FreedomToWrite. He should never have been jailed in the first place.
https://scroll.in/article/1038464/will-the-bail-granted-to-anand-teltumbde-help-others-in-the-bhima-koregaon-case-to-get-out-of-jail
Digital rights in #Vietnam are declining as a new system of surveillance and control has emerged in the country, with the support of Western tech giants. https://thediplomat.com/2022/11/the-quiet-evolution-of-vietnams-digital-authoritarianism/
We welcome the establishment of an international fact-finding mission to investigate reported human rights abuses in Iran since protests against the death of #MahsaAmini. We urge the mission to pay close attention to targeted arrests of writers and #FreeExpression violations.