Iran: Another Poet’s Arrest Signals Creation of Repressive Blueprint for Free Expression
The arrest of poet Hila Sedighi in Tehran this week marks an acceleration in Iran’s crackdown on provocative cultural figures as the country prepares for elections next month. More
Alert Us
Are you an artist at risk or know someone who is?
PEN America On 
TODAY marks one year since the unjust imprisonment of Iranian writers and 2021 PEN/Barbey #FreedomToWrite honorees Baktash Abtin, Keyvan Bajan, and Reza Khandan Mahabadi for spurious propaganda and national security charges at the notorious Evin prison. http://bit.ly/3kDU0h9
An official indictment against PEN America's #FreedomToWrite honoree Xu Zhiyong confirms what human rights groups have been saying since his arrest—his only “crime” has been to peacefully write about and advocate for reform. https://bit.ly/3lY97Bk
Four of the top ten most challenged books in 2020 are about race and racism. Author Ta-Nahesi Coates spoke with @CBSMornings to discuss #BannedBooksWeek and his reaction to one of his own books being banned. https://cbsn.ws/3zKNU2O
