(NEW YORK)— The Board of Trustees of PEN America today named two proven leaders and champions of free expression and literature, Summer Lopez and Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf, as co-Chief Executive Officers of the writers’ organization.
Lopez, 48, and Rosaz Shariyf, 49, each bring a decade of management and program experience at PEN America, and have been serving as interim co-CEOs since November 2024.
Tracy Higgins, board vice president and chair of the Executive Committee, said that from the outset the board was committed to identifying leadership that could bring deep mission knowledge, crisis management skills, and a unifying roadmap for PEN America’s future.
“Summer and Clarisse undoubtedly fit that bill,” said Higgins, a professor at Fordham Law School and founder and co-director of Fordham’s Leitner Center for International Law and Justice. “They are highly respected in the free expression and literary communities, and their integrity, imagination, and steady hands are already shaping PEN America’s next chapter. They know this organization inside and out and bring both urgency and vision to guiding its future at a time when defending free expression is both deeply essential and highly demanding.”
The appointment by the PEN America Board of Trustees is effective immediately.
Over the last 16 months, Lopez and Rosaz Shariyf have spearheaded the organization’s principled defense of free expression, fighting back against escalating attacks from federal and state authorities while safeguarding writers and the power of literature, stories, and ideas as a counterweight to divisions in our society.
Their appointment affirms the board’s confidence in Lopez and Rosaz Shariyf’s collective and individual expertise as they launch the next chapter of the organization at a perilous turning point for free expression and democracy, according to Dinaw Mengestu, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Professor of the Humanities at Bard College and award-winning author who became president of the Board of Trustees last year.
“Summer and Clarisse have been the guiding force behind PEN America’s extraordinary literary programming and robust defense of free expression,” Mengestu said. “They are relentless advocates for writers and our staff and members, helping to build a stronger and more engaged organization—one that stands firmly by its values and is prepared to meet the extraordinary challenges ahead.”
Momentum to Defend and Elevate Writers
During their interim tenure, Lopez and Rosaz Shariyf revitalized PEN America’s programming, reengaged its literary community, and strengthened fundraising efforts. They focused on expanding the organization’s professional membership and advancing its core advocacy for writers whose work and livelihoods are under threat. After having faced a boycott of its Literary Awards and World Voices Festival in 2024, PEN America last year successfully staged these flagship events while issuing nine original research reports and accelerating advocacy on issues such as book bans, threats to academic and press freedom, and cultural repression abroad, including in Iran, Gaza, and China. PEN America also released a second edition of its unique campus free speech guide; conducted dozens of digital safety trainings for roughly 1,500 journalists nationwide; distributed 133 grants through its U.S. Writers Emergency Fund; and filed or joined 19 amicus briefs in defense of free expression. All of this, while growing their digital audience of supporters by 42% year over year and digital followers by almost one third.
Looking ahead, Lopez and Rosaz Shariyf have laid the groundwork for several new initiatives that respond to the growing threats to authors’ safety and to free expression in the literary and cultural spheres. They are also working to shape a strategic vision that harnesses PEN America’s long-standing mission so the organization can forge ahead in this new chapter. That will involve drawing on both internal reflection and deep collaboration with partners to ensure that the organization’s core values and singular purpose are fully aligned to confront today’s troubled landscape for free expression.
Summer Lopez said: “We are in a moment of emergency for free expression and for democracy. In the U.S. and around the world, our ability to write, read, speak, and imagine freely is under grave threat. But it is not a time for despair; instead, it is a time for coming together in community to fight for what matters most. Drawing on our 104-year history, PEN America has an essential role to play in pushing back against the brutal repression we see today, from Minneapolis to Tehran. And as we do this work, we will put our community of writers at the center–providing vital support, building effective coalitions, and crafting an affirmative vision of what a truly free and open culture can look like.”
Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf said: “At its very core, PEN America is a home for writers and a vibrant literary community that believes the freedom to write is the foundation of our democratic future and a more just world. As a membership organization of writers, academics, journalists, translators, and librarians, PEN America is uniquely positioned to be a powerful convener and act with a singular mission to protect voices that are under attack. Writers help us break through the noise and the information bubbles, and in a moment of division and anxiety, we will see to it that those who are writing the story of this time know that PEN America has their backs.”
Both Lopez and Rosaz Shariyf emphasized: “Absolutely none of this work would be possible without our talented and dedicated staff, and the support of our remarkable board of trustees. It is our privilege to work alongside all of them as we lead this organization into the future.”
Author Jennifer Finney Boylan, who preceded Mengestu as president, observed that both CEOs have “always put writers at the heart of everything they do. Their fearless leadership has strengthened the fight for the freedom of authors and readers, here and around the world. As they lead PEN America into its next chapter, I’m profoundly grateful for their partnership, their vision, and their friendship—and excited for all that lies ahead.”
About Summer Lopez
Lopez brings over two decades of leadership in the fields of democracy, human rights, gender equality, and freedom of expression. She served as Chief Program Officer for free expression programs at PEN America, overseeing the organization’s advocacy, research, and programming in defense of free expression in the U.S. and globally, working on issues including campus free speech, book bans, press freedom and local journalism, and the defense of writers at risk. Before joining the organization, she worked as a democracy specialist at the United States Agency for International Development; she also worked at The AjA Project, a San Diego-based nonprofit providing participatory media programming for immigrant and refugee youth. Her commentary on free expression issues has been cited widely, and her writing has appeared in outlets including The Washington Post, The L.A. Times, TIME, The Daily Beast, and the New York Daily News. She has lived and worked in Zimbabwe, Egypt, Nepal, India, and Ghana. Originally from Southern California, Lopez earned her undergraduate degree in English and American literature and language from Harvard University and a master in public affairs from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs.
About Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf
Rosaz Shariyf brings more than two decades of expertise in literary arts and cultural programming. She served as Chief Programming Officer for literary programs at PEN America, leading the organization’s literary programming strategy and overseeing its flagship events including the PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature and Literary Awards Ceremony, PEN Out Loud, and writing and mentorship programs that support incarcerated and emerging writers. Before coming to PEN America she spent over a decade at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture at The New York Public Library, working with writers, scholars, artists, and librarians to curate and produce 100+ year round free public programs on the global Black experience. Originally from Martinique, Rosaz Shariyf earned her undergraduate degree in English language and literature from the University of Cergy-Pontoise, France; she has a masters in social sciences from the University of Chicago and a masters degree in English civilization from the University of the French West Indies.
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.