(NEW YORK)— PEN America today announced that late night comedy star and writer Amber Ruffin will host the free expression organization’s annual star-studded gala on May 15 in New York City.
Ruffin, a long-time writer of NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers and the host of CNN’s comedy-news talk series, Have I Got News For You, is known both for her biting humor and fierce independence.
“Amber Ruffin’s brilliant social commentary, her satire and exceptional talent as a writer is what makes her one of the best and most exciting comedians writing and performing today,” said Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf, PEN America’s co-interim CEO and chief officer for literary programming. “She is truly emblematic of the talented creators who we need on stages and in writers’ rooms during a time of unprecedented censorship in this country. We’re both delighted and honored to have her with us.”
PEN America also announced that Wesleyan University President Michael S. Roth will receive the PEN/Benenson Courage Award at the gala in recognition of his unwavering commitment to defending academic freedom, protecting protest rights, and resisting attempts to silence dissent in higher education. Roth, an ardent supporter of campus free speech and author of several books, has been widely lauded as an exception among higher education leaders for speaking out against the Trump administration’s efforts to undermine their institutional independence. Roth has emerged as one of the most forceful and eloquent defenders of liberal education and has consistently urged his peers to resist government dictates. “Appeasement,” he has stated, “will not work.”
“Courage is contagious. At a moment when core principles of intellectual freedom and democratic society are facing ugly headwinds, Michael Roth’s steadfast defense of open debate and free expression are an inspiration,” said Summer Lopez, co-interim CEO and chief officer for free expression programs at PEN America. “Roth’s refusal to passively comply with political intimidation from Washington, his call to other institutional leaders to stand up for democratic principles, and his insistence on protecting the most vulnerable among us is the clarion call American society needs right now. We are honored to bestow him with this recognition.”
PEN America has previously announced two other honorees: iconic actor, producer and independent publisher Sarah Jessica Parker, who will receive the PEN/Audible Literary Service Award, and Jon Yaged, chief executive officer of Macmillan Publishers, who will be honored with this year’s Business Visionary award.
The PEN America Gala is a highlight of the New York literary and social calendar. Held in the iconic “whale room” at the American Museum of Natural History, the evening shines a light on an internationally jailed writer of conscience, while bringing together writers, journalists, publishers, editors, humanitarians, and cultural influencers to support PEN America’s global literary programming and advocacy for the freedoms to speak, read and write.
An illustrious roster of past honorees include President Barack Obama, Ava DuVernay, Salman Rushdie, Margaret Atwood, Bob Woodward, Stephen King, Patti Smith, the late Toni Morrison, Stephen Sondheim, Prof. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Zadie Smith and Saturday Night Live (SNL) creator, writer and executive producer Lorne Michaels.
The festive, high-profile evening honors extraordinary contributors in literature, the arts, journalism, publishing, and film, alongside courageous individuals who have stood up for free expression and others who have been jailed for doing so under oppressive regimes.
The celebration draws 600+ supporters with many dozens of acclaimed writers seated at each table as literary hosts. Past writer-hosts include Rushdie, Ayad Akhtar, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Robert Caro, Ron Chernow, Jhumpa Lahiri, Min Jin Lee, Jay McInerney, Lynn Nottage, Jodi Picoult, Gary Shteyngart, Gay Talese, and many more.
In the weeks ahead, PEN America will announce the PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award, given to an internationally jailed writer of conscience. The 2023 recipient Narges Mohammadi of Iran was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize that same year.
Biographies
Amber Ruffin is an Emmy and Tony nominated writer, comedian, host, and performer who has become one of the most prominent and celebrated voices in late night television. Currently, Ruffin stars on CNN’s new Saturday night comedy-news talk series, Have I Got News For You, adapted for US television from the popular BBC program. Currently in its second season, HIGNFY airs on Saturdays at 9pm ET/PT. The series finds Amber as the weekly “Team Captain” opposite Michael Ian Black and host Roy Wood Jr, who together welcome a rotating panel of celebrity and notable guests across entertainment, politics, and more for witty games and rapid-fire discussions. The series notably launched alongside the 2024 U.S. Presidential election. Ruffin made history as the first Black woman to write for a late-night network talk show in the United States, joining the writing staff of NBC’s iconic Late Night with Seth Meyers in 2014. Her quick wit, boundless energy, and incisive social commentary quickly made her a breakout star, leading to regular on-air appearances and the creation of her own segment, “Amber Says What.”
Michael S. Roth became the 16th president of Wesleyan University in 2007. He has overseen the launch of academic programs at Wesleyan such as the Allbritton Center for the Study of Public Life and the Shapiro Center for Writing, as well as five new interdisciplinary colleges emphasizing research and cohort building in the areas of the environment, film, East Asian studies, integrative sciences, and design and engineering. Under his leadership, Wesleyan had its most ambitious fundraising campaign in its history, raising more than $482 million, primarily for financial aid. Roth has undertaken a number of initiatives that have made a Wesleyan education more affordable for many and more accessible to students from under-represented groups.
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision in July 2023, he announced a suite of new recruiting efforts aimed at enhancing diverse campus learning including an end to admissions preference for legacy applicants and the creation of an African Scholars Program. An intellectual historian, Roth has published several books centered on how people make sense of the past. Since returning to Wesleyan, he has published three books (all with Yale University Press) bearing on liberal education, the most recent being The Student, A Short History (2023). His Beyond the University: Why Liberal Education Matters (2014), was recognized with the Association of American Colleges & Universities’ Frederic W. Ness award for a book that best illuminates the goals and practices of a contemporary liberal education. Roth’s 2019 book, Safe Enough Spaces: A Pragmatist’s Approach to Inclusion, Free Speech, and Political Correctness, addresses some of the most contentious issues in American higher education, including affirmative action, safe spaces, and questions of free speech. Roth continues to teach undergraduate courses and at Wesleyan and online.
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, STrimel@PEN.org, (201) 247-5057