2023 PEN America Prison Writing Contest Winners Announced
Robert Pollock, program manager for the Prison and Justice Writing program, said: “The extraordinary quality of the writing and their subject matter are evident in the judges’ choices. That… More
Relief that Egyptian Writer Patrick Zaki is Pardoned and Released from Prison After Sentencing for “Spreading False News”
Justin Shilad, research and advocacy lead for the Middle East and North Africa at PEN America, said: “The sentence against Patrick Zaki is an outrage, and indicative of the… More
PEN America Welcomes NY Corrections Department Decision to Rescind “Unjustifiable” Proposal to Limit Free Expression for Incarcerated Writers
Moira Marquis, senior manager of PEN America’s Freewrite Project, said: “Any effort to crush the right of incarcerated people to express themselves, and in particular, to limit literacy and… More
PEN America Opposes New York State Proposal Limiting Incarcerated Writers Ability to Publish
Moira Marquis, senior manager of PEN America’s Freewrite Project, said: “Directive 4406 would essentially freeze PEN America’s ability to publish incarcerated New Yorker’s work, alongside that of similar organizations.… More
PEN America Report: China & Iran Top List of the Worst Jailers, Abusers of Writers
“Writers have long been and continue to be some of the first victims and intended targets of repressive governments,” said Liesl Gerntholtz, director of the PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write… More
PEN America Welcomes ‘Safekeeping Status” for Texas Prisoner-Journalist Whose Reporting Put His Safety at Risk
Moira Marquis, senior manager of PEN America’s Freewrite Project, expressed gratitude for supporters across the country who wrote to the Texas prison authorities on behalf of Walker. She said:… More