Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo | Status: In Prison | Myanmar
Prosecutors have charged the journalists with obtaining important and secret state documents relating to the crisis in Rakhine State, from which some 680,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled since August… More
Nasrin Sotoudeh | Status: Detained | Iran
Nasrin Sotoudeh was abruptly re-arrested on June 13, 2018 and taken to Evin prison. According to her husband, who she managed to speak to shortly after her detention, she… More
Dozens of Writers, Artists, and Activists Demand Oleg Sentsov’s Release in Light of Hunger Strike
"The Russian Government has tried to silence Oleg Sentsov, but even from prison he continues to make his voice heard through words and actions—including this hunger strike—that demonstrate his enduring commitment to… More
2018 Literary Gala: Eskinder Nega
I ask whether those who are free have an obligation towards those of us who are not free. And I say they do. This obligation is not legal but… More
2018 Literary Gala: Presentation of the 2018 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award
Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27, are journalists who specialize in politically sensitive subjects. When arrested they were on assignment by Reuters investigating the torching and pillage… More
PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award
Established in 2016, this award is designed to honor a writer imprisoned for his or her work. More
Arrest and Inhumane Detention of Eskinder Nega an Outrageous Attack on Free Expression in Ethiopia
In Eskinder Nega's own words, as reported to PEN America, “[o]ur condition in prison is inhuman, to say the least. Better to call it [j]am-packed than imprisoned. About 200 of… More
2012 PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award Winner Eskinder Nega Freed After Almost Seven Years in Prison in Ethiopia
We are overjoyed that Eskinder has been freed, and call on the governments of Ethiopia and the United States to ensure that he can be speedily reunited with his… More
“They Killed Him”: Denial of Medical Care in China and the Literary Conscience
As a matter of medicine, it was of course cancer that took Liu’s life. But the responsibility for his death must rest on the shoulders of the Chinese state. More
Court Orders Retrial for Ahmed Naji
The court's decision to order a retrial for the novelist prolongs a legal battle over free expression in Egypt that has already gone on far too long. More
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PEN America On 
"I passed through a lot of houses, loves, and typewriters, never quite finding the right one."
Sandra Cisneros looks back at her earlier work. https://t.co/vCnqYMYKqV
This Thursday, join us at @strandbookstore to see @NK_Adjei and @IsaacFitzgerald in conversation! They'll discuss writing in the hinterlands of satire, where absurdity reflects and challenges reality. https://t.co/kkV7XiKxE5
We recommend 15 books to help diversify one’s scope of understanding, including @josdcharles, @TereseMarieM, @jennymxie, and more. https://t.co/ZjuhZpa8Zs