Saturday Night Live’s Lorne Michaels and Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos Will Be Honored at PEN America 2023 Spring Literary Gala, with SNL’s Weekend Update Co-Anchor Colin Jost as Host
PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel said: “Lorne Michaels’ unique brand of uproarious and fearless political and social sketches forever changed television and comedy. The political landscape wouldn’t be the… More
Over One Hundred Authors Across Eleven Categories Make Longlist for 2023 PEN America Literary Prizes
Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf, chief of literary programs at PEN America, said: “For 60 years, writers and translators selected for PEN America’s awards have brought us closer to unfamiliar lives… More
New Campaign Spotlights the Stories of Imprisoned Cuban Artists
“Dissident artists in Cuba have emerged on the frontlines of the protest movement in the country, using their platforms as creators to challenge the false narratives created by the… More
First-of-its-Kind Field Manual in Arabic Supports Journalists and Human Rights Activists Against Online Harassment
“Online abuse is a deliberate attempt to stifle press freedom and creative expression. As an organization of and for writers, PEN America is committed to working with our partners… More
Best-selling Author James Patterson Donates $2 Million to Help PEN America Raise its Reach, Voice, and Influence
PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel said: “We are incredibly grateful to James Patterson for this catalytic gift which will help us increase our reach, voice and influence at a… More
New Report: 2,500+ Book Bans Across 32 States During 2021-22 School Year
“While we think of book bans as the work of individual concerned citizens, our report demonstrates that today's wave of bans represents a coordinated campaign to banish books being… More
Words on Fire: Authors Sound Alarm to Defend Free Speech
PEN America Symposium Celebrates 100 Years of Defending Free Expression and the Power of the Written Word By Suzanne Trimel (NEW YORK) -- As leading literary luminaries gathered to celebrate PEN… More
Jenny Holzer Art Installation to Light Up Rockefeller Center Buildings with Prose in Celebration of PEN America’s 100th Birthday, Starting Wed., 9/14
The outdoor installation, titled SPEECH ITSELF, will include quotes from more than 60 authors in a visual tribute to the right to express ourselves freely. Among the authors whose… More
Against the Ruins of 9/11 21 Years Ago, Salman Rushdie Appealed to New Yorkers: “Don’t Let Fear Rule Your Life”
His Words Opened an Enduring Path to Cross-Cultural Dialogue By Suzanne Trimel (NEW YORK)—What has changed as a result of the 9/11 attacks? This has been an unceasing point for debate… More
Celebrated Authors Gather Mon., Sept. 12 for “Words on Fire: Writing, Freedom, and the Future”
MEDIA ADVISORY (NEW YORK) — PEN America presents Words on Fire: Writing, Freedom, and the Future, an afternoon of urgent public conversation on the issues that drive the world’s leading… More
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According to @PENamerica book bans are increasing and evolving to keep even more books out of the hands of our children. But why do other people get to tell our kids, they can't read certain books? #BookBanBusters
Loved last night’s celebration of books and reading at the Utah State Capitol. #LetUtahRead #utpol
"While no Republican members of Congress have directly addressed the Santos drag allegations, drag has become a hot-button issue in the party.
At least 8 states have introduced... legislation to restrict or censor drag shows, according to Pen America." https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64388524