The PEN Ten with Ming Di
"I don’t think it’s the responsibility of writers to do anything. We do it anyway—out of consciousness, not responsibility." More
The PEN Ten with E. Tammy Kim
"Writers are people, so we have political responsibilities that zigzag across the globe. If we are good at our craft, we have the additional burden of conveying information and… More
The PEN Ten with Tina Chang
"We are each placed here to carry out something quite distinctive, quite separate. That individuality of purpose makes for friction that is very much alive." More
The PEN Ten with Abdellah Taïa
"I have always functioned alone. I believe in a single voice changing the world. I don't place much trust in groups." More
Four Questions for Sawako Nakayasu, Winner of the 2016 PEN Award for Poetry in Translation
"The Sagawa book presented a special challenge, which was that the Modernist sensibility and language, especially in this particular Japanese context, was unlike anything I had ever seen, and… More
Four Questions for Katrina Dodson, Winner of the 2016 PEN Translation Prize
I’ve thought often about how translation requires extreme humility, to be able to recede into the shadows and let one’s style be subsumed by another’s. Translators work hard not… More
The PEN Ten with Burhan Sönmez
"We don’t have to think of limiting our freedom. Instead, we need to find ways to cross the borderlines of restrictions and, when it happens, be ready to pay… More
Interview with the Finalists of 2016 PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction
To get a better idea of the writers behind the books, we sent each of the finalists four questions addressing inspiration, routine, and craft. More
The PEN Ten with Yuri Herrera
"The writer’s responsibility cannot be dictated by any party, politician, sponsor, or cleric. If it is possible to talk about the responsibility of the writer, it is to be… More
The PEN Ten with Saleem Haddad
"When I write in English, I try to make sure that my writing holds a mirror up to the West as much as it does to the Arab world.… More
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