We Believe in the Freedom to Read
For Banned Books Week 2023, PEN America and We Believe gathered a consortium of publishers and nonprofit organizations to rally behind the freedom to read with this open letter.… More
Amid Crisis of School Book Bans, Banned Books Week Arrives Oct. 1 with Urgency to Defend the Freedom to Read
LINK to the PEN America Banned Books Week actions and events (NEW YORK)— With school book bans surging 33 percent over the past school year, this year’s Banned Books Week Oct.… More
High School and College Students Can Learn how to Become Free Expression Advocates and Combat Book Bans at PEN America’s Online Trainings This Fall
PEN America’s flagship Free Expression Advocacy Institute returns this fall as a free, online, eight-week, educational and training program where high school and college students get certified in mastering… More
With Massive Book Banning in Prisons, PEN America Presents “Return to Sender: Prison as Censorship,” a NYC Exhibition Sept. 14-Oct. 28
Moira Marquis, an advocate in PEN America’s Prison and Justice Writing program, said: “More books are banned in prisons than anywhere else in the country and censorship is rising… More
Monthslong Campaign of “Baseless Claims and Conspiracy Theories” May Lead to Shutdown of VA Library
Kasey Meehan, Freedom to Read program director at PEN America, said: “What is happening in Front Royal, Virginia should serve as a wake up call for anyone who cares… More
New PEN America Report Warns Against Canceling Books Due to Outrage
In the report, PEN America cautions publishers against giving in to newly-drawn lines that restrict the space for the writer’s prerogative to imagine and create literature: “It is imperative… More
‘Rainbowland’ Teacher Melissa Tempel Prepares Lawsuit
Melissa Tempel was fired after tweeting that her first-graders weren't allowed to sing 'Rainbowland.' Now she's speaking out. More
Support for the freedom to read with exclusive designs by Todd Parr, Mike Curato, Art Spiegelman, and more!
