2016 PEN/Allen Foundation Literary Service Award: J.K. Rowling
JK Rowling has used her talents and stature as a writer to fight inequality on both a local and global level. Herself the frequent object of censorship in schools… More
2016 Publisher Honoree: Michael Pietsch
Hachette Book Group CEO Michael Pietsch, a PEN America Trustee, has worked as an editor to David Foster Wallace, James Patterson, Donna Tartt, and others, championing the power of… More
JK Rowling defends Donald Trump’s right to be ‘offensive and bigoted’
JK Rowling has said that while she finds almost everything that Donald Trump says “objectionable”, he still has her full support to come to the UK and “be offensive… More
JK Rowling was right: free speech is for everyone, not just your friends
As the president of PEN America, I was deeply honored to have JK Rowling attend our gala to receive the PEN/Allen Foundation Award for Literary Service. Rowling gave a… More
PEN Literary Gala Honors Celebrates Opponents of Censorship and Speaking Truth to Power
May 16 Ceremony Celebrates J.K. Rowling, Hachette CEO Michael Pietsch, Flint Activists Lee-Anne Walters and Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, and Jailed Egyptian Novelist Ahmed Naji NEW YORK—New York’s literary community gathered… More
“His freedom guarantees mine”: J. K. Rowling at the 2016 PEN Literary Gala
My critics are at liberty to claim that I’m trying to convert children to Satanism., and I’m free to explain that I’m exploring human nature and morality, or to… More
Pen Literary Gala Hails ‘Harry Potter’ Author
J.K. Rowling honored for providing a generation of readers a ‘gateway to loving books for life’ More
J.K. Rowling Criticizes Donald Trump but Defends His Freedom of Speech
J.K. Rowling held up Donald Trump as an example of the importance of freedom of expression in her remarks Monday night at the PEN America Literary Gala, a glittery… More
Works Sighted: J.K. Rowling on Donald Trump and Free Speech
When J.K. Rowling mentioned a petition to keep Donald Trump out of the United Kingdom, her audience at the PEN Literary Gala and Free Expression Awards on Monday laughed… More
J.K. Rowling Defends “Bigoted” Donald Trump’s Right to Free Speech
J.K. Rowling is not a fan of Donald Trump, but she still believes it is wrong to try and ban him from a country based on his campaign rhetoric. More