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].
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PEN, Partners Seek Recognition for Those Who Said No to Torture
Arguing that the United States owes a public debt to those who refused to support or participate in torture, PEN American Center has joined with nine other leading human… More
Ai Weiwei Released from Detention in Beijing
PEN American Center today welcomed reports that Ai Weiwei, one of China’s most acclaimed artists and cultural figures, has been released on bail after three months in detention, calling… More
Human Rights Pioneer & Author Jeri Laber to Join Board of PEN American Center
PEN American Center, the largest branch of the world’s oldest literary and human rights organization, announced today that Jeri Laber, a founder of Human Rights Watch, author, and humanitarian,… More
Congress Fails to Protect Reader Privacy Again
Organizations representing booksellers, librarians, publishers, and authors today expressed frustration and disappointment at the decision by Congress yesterday to reauthorize the expiring provisions of the USA Patriot Act for… More
PEN Announces Barbara Kingsolver Partnership for Socially Engaged Fiction Prize
PEN American Center, the largest branch of the world’s oldest literary and human rights organization, announced today that it will assume administration of the PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged… More
Book Community Urges Congress to Restore Safeguards for Bookstore and Library Records
With a key Patriot Act provision set to expire next week, the Campaign for Reader Privacy is asking supporters to urge their members of Congress to reject a six-year… More
PEN/Steven Kroll Award to Honor Author of an Illustrated Children’s Book
PEN American Center, the largest branch of the world’s oldest literary and human rights organization, announced today the establishment of the PEN/Steven Kroll Award Honoring the Author of an… More
ACLU, PEN, and the Film Society of Lincoln Center Present “Reckoning with Torture”
The American Civil Liberties Union, PEN American Center and the Film Society of Lincoln Center will present a special performance of “Reckoning With Torture: Memos and Testimonies From the… More
PEN American Center Mourns Suicide of Iranian Journalist Siamak Pourzand
PEN American Center joined with free expression champions around the world today in mourning the death of journalist and critic Siamak Pourzand, who reportedly committed suicide on Friday following… More
PEN Urges CUNY Trustees to Grant Honorary Degree to Tony Kushner
PEN American Center has sent a letter to the Board of Trustees of the City University of New York urging the body to review a decision to remove playwright… More