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
Can the Written Word Make a Difference, as Global Threats Mount?
Writers Reflect on Peril at PEN America’s Emergency Congress of Writers By Suzanne Trimel Can the power of the written word meaningfully bring about change in a world threatened by… More
$2 Million Gift from the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Supports Emergency and Resilience Funds for Persecuted Artists Worldwide and Immediate Support to Artists in Crisis from the Ukraine War
Julie Trebault, Director of the Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) at PEN America, said: “Over the past two months, we have witnessed devastating attacks on the people of Ukraine… More
PEN America Calls Kidnapping of Ukrainian Writer Volodymyr Vakulenko “Horrifying”
“The kidnapping of Volodymyr Vakulenko and his son Vitalii is simply horrific,” said Polina Sadovskaya, director of Eurasia Programs at PEN America. “It is crucial that the investigation into… More
How to Prevent the Spread of Disinformation About Russia’s War on Ukraine: A Tip Sheet
How can students mobilize and respond to book bans? This guide will help you fight back against book bans and build a stronger community of readers and advocates in… More
Ukraine Writers Speak Out on Their New Lives at War
By Suzanne Trimel (New York, N.Y.)-- During an online conversation from western Ukraine on March 3, PEN Ukraine President Andrei Kurkov, the novelist and screenwriter, shared a bleak prediction about… More
PEN America To Hold NYC Vigil for Ukraine Monday, Feb. 28 Following 2022 Literary Awards
(NEW YORK, N.Y.) – On Monday night, February 28, at the conclusion of the 2022 PEN America Literary Awards, PEN America will gather luminaries of the literary and cultural… More
Russia’s ‘Reckless and Dangerous Aggression’ Threaten Ukraine’s Hard-Won Democatic and Human Rights Advances
PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel: "Ukraine's hard-won democratic and human rights gains, and its very independence as a nation, risk obliteration as a result of Russia's reckless and dangerous… More
Letter: President Biden Must Sanction Individuals Responsible for Human Rights Violations in Eastern Ukraine
We write to urge the immediate imposition of targeted sanctions against the individuals responsible for grave human rights violations in the areas of eastern Ukraine. More