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 Shawn Vestal
"I can’t remember not wanting to be a writer. As a child I would write creative notes to my parents, and in school at an early age I would… 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
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
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
The PEN Ten with Marlon James
"Writers do have a collective purpose, and that’s to write. I think we writers have managed to convince ourselves that that's not enough. Why is that? Writing can actually… More
The PEN Ten with John Murillo
"It was after the Rodney King verdicts were announced in April of 1992. I remember feeling simultaneously pleased and disappointed with myself that my first response was to want… More
The PEN Ten with Jennifer Clement
"I’m always in search of how the divine and profane coexist and how the powerless find ways to exercise power." More
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