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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Strong Civil Society Effort Key to Advancing Georgia’s EU Candidacy
As Georgia advances a step closer to European Union membership, PEN America applauds Georgia's civil society's unwavering commitment to free expression and human rights. More
Call for Israeli Authorities to Show Evidence for Detention of Author Ahed Tamimi
“Our partner Penguin Random House/One World has expressed strong concerns to us that their author, Ahed Tamimi, has been arrested in the West Bank on the basis of antisemitic and hateful… More
More Than 300 Book Titles Banned by Collier County, FL, Including Literary Classics by Aldous Huxley, Ralph Ellison and Joseph Heller
“We are saddened for the students of Collier County Public Schools that so many titles, including renowned literary classics and contemporary young adult works are banned from student access,”… More
Sotoudeh’s Injuries at the Hands of Iranian Police More Severe Than Initially Believed
America expresses its great concern about the health and safety of human rights lawyer, writer, and 2011 PEN/Freedom To Write Award honoree Nasrin Sotoudeh. More
PEN America Welcomes New Effort by Goodreads to Combat “Review Bombing”
PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel said: "We are gratified that Goodreads has taken steps to implement one of the crucial recommendations in our recent Booklash report, aimed at preventing… More
New PEN America Report: Taming Culture in Georgia
Taming Culture in Georgia documents a rapidly escalating strategy of government suppression of free speech and culture in Georgia. More
Arrest of Nasrin Sotoudeh is an Outrage
Nasrin Soutudeh imprisoned once again for expressing solidarity with the family of a teenager girl who lost her life, apparently for the crime of refusing to cover her hair. More
New Iran Headscarf Ban Targeting Actresses Must Be Lifted Immediately
PEN America strongly denounces Iran’s recent ban on performing for actresses who have appeared in public without a head cover. More
Citing Grave Free Speech Concerns, PEN America Rejects Florida Campus Ban on Students for Justice in Palestine
Jonathan Friedman, director of Free Expression and Education Programs, issued the following statement: "This policy is part of a pattern from the Florida government, ready to cast aside free speech… More
New PEN America Report: U.S. Prisons Ban Staggering Numbers of Books
“The extent of prison book banning is alarming and an attack on the written word itself.” said Moira Marquis, senior manager of PEN America’s Freewrite Project and lead author… More