First-of-its-Kind Manual to Help Swahili-Speaking Journalists and Human Rights Advocates Defend Against Online Harassment and Abuse
Note: Press release below in Swahili (NAIROBI, NEW YORK) — The literary and free expression group PEN America launched the Mwongo wa Mafunzo ya Unyanyasaji Mtandaoni, a Swahili-language manual to… More
First-of-its-Kind Field Manual in Arabic Supports Journalists and Human Rights Activists Against Online Harassment
“Online abuse is a deliberate attempt to stifle press freedom and creative expression. As an organization of and for writers, PEN America is committed to working with our partners… More
PEN America Welcomes U.S. Government Sanctions on Iranian Group that Placed Bounty on Salman Rushdie’s Life
Nadine Farid Johnson, managing director of PEN America Washington and Free Expression Programs, said: “PEN America applauds the Treasury Department’s decision, which sends a powerful message to the Iranian… More
Jenny Holzer Art Installation to Light Up Rockefeller Center Buildings with Prose in Celebration of PEN America’s 100th Birthday, Starting Wed., 9/14
The outdoor installation, titled SPEECH ITSELF, will include quotes from more than 60 authors in a visual tribute to the right to express ourselves freely. Among the authors whose… More
PEN America Condemns Sentencing of Myanmar Writer-Activist Wai Moe Naing and Calls for His Release
“The sentencing of Wai Moe Naing following months of arbitrary detention and an unfair trial blatantly flouts international judicial standards and reveals the Myanmar junta’s deliberate effort to silence… More
Order to Remove Dozens of Challenged Books in Texas, Including the Bible, Is an Appalling Violation of Students’ Rights
In response to the news, Jonathan Friedman, director of free expression and education programs at PEN America, said: "The sweeping attempt to remove these titles from classrooms and libraries… More
PEN America, with 102 International Writers and Artists, Calls for India to Uphold the Freedom to Write Ahead of 75th Independence Day Celebration
Over 100 writers and artists joined PEN America and PEN International in urging Indian President Droupadi Murmu to defend free expression in India. More
UN Special Rapporteur on Iran Urged to Raise Imprisonment of Writers Arash Ganji and Reza Khandan Mahabadi, Being Held in Teheran on Wrongful Convictions
“Arash Ganji and Reza Khandan Mahabadi are in prison for their unequivocal commitment to writing and expression in Iran,” said Liesl Gerntholtz, director of the PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write… More
Margaret Atwood Unveils Fireproof Copy of Bestseller The Handmaid’s Tale To Be Auctioned by Sotheby’s in Support of PEN America
‘Powerful Words Can Never Be Extinguished’ (NEW YORK)--Nearly 700 supporters of PEN America's work to defend free expression reacted with cheers and applause at the organization's annual gala tonight after… More
Statement: Publisher’s Decision to Pull “Bad and Boujee” Book is “Misguided and Regrettable”
"When debates over books and authors have a racial dimension, they can get heated quickly because they tap into long histories of exclusion and marginalization of people of color… More