PEN America Condemns New Conviction of Iranian Dissident Rapper Toomaj Salehi
The re-arrest of Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi and his severe sentence is part of a calculated effort to suppress dissenting voices, illustrating a broader and alarming crackdown on the… More
Guatemalan Artists Among Those Targeted During Political Turmoil
ARC calls for the liberation of all artists, writers, activists, and others arrested for publicly opposing attempts to invalidate August’s presidential election results. More
Sample Script About Book Bans for School Board Meetings
Here is a sample script for anyone who wants to speak at a school board meeting against book bans and challenges to books. If you can't make it in… More
These Books Are Banned in Urbandale, Iowa School District
PEN America sent an open letter to the Urbandale, Iowa school district to reverse an order to remove a list of nearly 400 titles. Here are some of the… More
PEN America Speaks: How We Defended and Celebrated Free Expression This Week
PEN America works tirelessly to defend free expression, support persecuted writers, and promote literary culture. Here are some of the latest ways PEN America is speaking out. More
Letter to Congress Opposing Federal Law to Impose a Ban on TikTok
If passed by Congress and enacted into law, a nationwide ban on TikTok would have serious ramifications for free expression in the digital sphere, infringing on Americans’ First Amendment… More
PEN America supports challenge to DeSantis’ ‘Stop WOKE’ law
PEN America filed an Amicus brief in Honeyfund v. DeSantis, saying the law had a “profound chilling effect,” not only on employers like Honeyfund, but on educators across the… More
Book Lovers Stage Read-In at State Capitol for ‘Let Utah Read’
PEN America was among the organizers of the protest against a rise in book bans in Utah. More
Laws restricting drag shows should scare everyone who believes in free expression
A wave of bills restricting free expression is building in state legislatures. This time, the target is drag performances. More
PEN America 2022 in Review: How We Defended Free Expression
In PEN America’s 100th year, our mission was as vital as ever. We celebrated words, and we fought for the right to be heard. With your help, we can… More