Press Releases
PEN America experts are available for interviews with the press. Please direct inquiries to Suzanne Trimel, Senior Advisor, Communications and Media, at [email protected].
At a time of unprecedented attacks against the free press, PEN America Members are taking action. Join us today.
Author and LGBTQ Rights Advocate Jennifer Finney Boylan Elected President of PEN America
With rising censorship of books, Jennifer Finney Boylan said she wants to be a voice in support of free expression for all, including liberal and conservative viewpoints and those… More
Cuban Artist Tania Bruguera Harassed by Cuban Government Despite Forced Exile
The signatories of the letter demand an end to the harassment and attacks against Cuban artists in exile, along with those who remain on the island. More
Narges Mohammadi Awarded Nobel Peace Prize in Absentia
Imprisoned Iranian writer and activist Narges Mohammadi received the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize in absentia at Oslo City Hall today. More
PEN America: With Resignation of Liz Magill at UPenn, Higher Ed Should Recommit Both to Rejecting Bigotry While Insuring Free Speech Can Thrive
"We have long stressed the importance of the university using its institutional voice to denounce denigration and dehumanization and stand in solidarity with those targeted by hatred. Doing so… More
PEN America Condemns Russian Government for Putting Journalist Masha Gessen on Most Wanted List
PEN America's statement said: “To target Gessen simply for referencing these acts is yet another escalation of the Russian government's effort to suppress free speech and control the narrative… More
In Amicus Brief, PEN America Argues Laws Restricting Content Moderation Online Are Unconstitutional
In the brief filed Thursday, PEN America, joined by Library Futures, argues that the Texas and Florida laws seek to impose orthodoxy on public discourse much in the same… More
New Grant Award Will Fund PEN America’s DREAMing Out Loud Program Over the Coming Five Years
Roxanne Coady, one of the funders of the program, said: “We are thrilled to be supporting the DREAMing Out Loud program. As the daughter of refugees I am acutely… More
Crisis of Polarization and Free Speech Over Israel and Hamas War Will be Examined at Annual General Meeting on 12/11 in New York City
A panel drawn from the worlds of culture, journalism, global affairs, and the law will look at the ripple effects of the war on these ecosystems in the United… More
PEN America: Calls for Genocide Have No Place in Reasoned Campus DIscourse
“Calls for genocide have no place in reasoned discourse. But, abhorrent as such a hypothetical may be, the First Amendment’s protections for speech extend even to deeply hateful speech,… More
PEN America: Former Trump Administration Official’s Threats Against Media are “Anathema”
"By informing the public on matters of local and national concern, journalists provide an essential check on government power. PEN America was not afraid to sue the president in… More