The PEN Ten: An Interview with Kayleb Rae Candrilli
“I am a small part of the tradition being remade and reclaimed by historically marginalized folks. Our bodies are breaking rules by existing, so why wouldn’t our art?” More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Raymond Antrobus
“If I’m finding language for my fullest and most honest self, then most of that is showing up in the work.” More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Hanif Abdurraqib
“I’ve needed stories as a way to keep loved ones alive, as a way to contextualize histories, as a way to push back against things I was told to… More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Carribean Fragoza
“Fiction is very real to me, not just because my characters and settings are often inspired by real people. . . but because they also address emotions and ideas… More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Forsyth Harmon
“Ali, [the] teenage narrator [in my book, Justine], struggles to communicate in words. I used illustrations as another way to represent her interior.” More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Jamie Figueroa
“Why do people need food and water? That’s how strongly I feel about the function of stories. We need stories to survive. . . to remember, to imagine, to… More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Marisa Reichardt
“I think my identity reveals itself in styles, themes, and messages. Where I grew up, the sports I played, the people I loved and loathed, these all show up… More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Asha Dahya
“It is so common to feel alone in our lived experiences, but once we see more and more people share their stories, we start to get that sense of… More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Zak Salih
“Pride as a gay man, as a writer—both require one to build up defenses against judgment while simultaneously embracing the vulnerability that comes from making public one’s authentic self.” More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Te-Ping Chen
“I was trying to bring to life a much more vivid, textured sense of China, a country full of complexity and contradictions that can be hard for readers to… More
Alert Us
Are you an artist at risk or know someone who is?
PEN America On 
Hong Kong has banned films that run contrary to the interests of a Beijing-drafted national security law, the latest crackdown on freedom of expression in the Asian financial hub. https://bloom.bg/3pJiNTU
NEW: Cuban artist and Latin Grammy-nominated rapper Maykel “Osorbo” Castillo, who has been detained at the maximum security Pinar del Río prison since May 2021, began a hunger strike today. We call on the Cuban government to immediately release Castillo. https://pen.org/press-release/maykel-castillo-begins-hunger-strike/
Celebrated bestselling author Sandra Cisneros joins #PENOutLoud on 11/3, with novelist Jamie Manrique, to discuss her new book, MARTITA I REMEMBER YOU/MARTITA TE RECUERDO, and its “tribute to the life-changing power of youthful friendship.” Tickets: https://bit.ly/3AoUSM5.
