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.
Bangladesh: Defamation Charges Against Editor Representative of Broader Attacks on Media
The filing of 38 lawsuits against editor Mahfuz Anam on charges of criminal defamation and sedition is an indication of the worsening state of free expression in Bangladesh, PEN… More
PEN America Condemns Travel Ban on Chinese Author Yang Jisheng
China’s refusal to allow renowned author and journalist Yang Jisheng to travel to the United States to accept an award for his work is a blatant and futile effort… More
PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature Will Focus on the Voices and Viewpoints of Today’s Mexico
Writers from around the globe will gather in New York for cross-cultural exchange and debate during the 12th annual PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature, April 25 –… More
Bahrain: Charging of U.S. Journalists Signals Kingdom’s Ongoing Hostility towards Free Speech
Bahraini authorities’ decision to arrest and charge four U.S. journalists for reporting on a protest marking the fifth anniversary of pro-democracy uprisings in the kingdom is a clear violation… More
Death Penalty Replaced with Jail Time, Flogging for Poet Ashraf Fayadh
A long jail term and brutal flogging sentence handed down by Saudi Arabia today to Ashraf Fayadh extends the injustice against the esteemed poet. More
Ta-Nehisi Coates, Marilynne Robinson Among Finalists for 2016 PEN Literary Awards
NEW YORK—PEN America today announced the shortlists for the 2016 PEN Literary Awards, including finalists for the coveted PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction. Writers Mia Alvar, Angela… More
PEN America to Honor J.K. Rowling, Hachette CEO Michael Pietsch at Annual Literary Gala
Through her writing, Rowling engenders imagination, empathy, humor, and a love of reading, along the way revealing moral choices that help us understand ourselves. More
Release of Washington Post Reporter Won’t Close the Book on Free Expression in Iran
As we celebrate Jason’s homecoming, we need to redouble pressure on Tehran to uphold the rights of Iranians who suffer for expressing their opinions. More
Ulitskaya Leads PEN America Delegation to Explore Narrowing of Russia’s Cultural Freedoms as 25th Anniversary of USSR Dissolution Looms
On January 25–29, PEN America will host a delegation of prominent Russian writers who are braving the currents of authoritarianism under President Vladimir Putin to stand up for free… More
Russia: Authorities Burn Books in Act Reminiscent of Totalitarian Regimes of the Past
Reports that Russian authorities in the Komi region have burned over 50 books and pulled over 400 more off college library bookshelves are a deeply disturbing sign of Russia’s… More