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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Florida Bill Would Let Parents and Citizens Challenge Any Book Used in Schools
"HB 1467 has been touted as a measure to increase school transparency," said Jonathan Friedman, director of PEN America's Free Expression and Education program, "but the real aim is… More
Acclaimed Author Zadie Smith Will Receive the PEN/Audible Literary Service Award May 23
Smith’s fiction meticulously charts characters’ social surroundings and entangled if disparate existences, offering deep insight into their circumstances. She questions and pushes against imposed boundaries of race and class,… More
2021 Freedom to Write Honoree Keyvan Bajan Is Released from Prison in Iran After Nearly One And a Half Years
Iran is among the world’s most restrictive countries for freedom of expression. In 2020, PEN America found that Iran imprisoned the fourth-highest number of writers and public intellectuals in… More
Mississippi Principal Fired for Reading a Book to Second Graders Should be Reinstated
The letter to the Hinds County School District said the firing of Assistant Principal Toby Price from Gary Road Elementary School on March 4 was “an extreme disciplinary action,… More
Journalists and Members of Congress Join 3/14 Conversation About Saving Local News
Nadine Farid Johnson, PEN America’s Washington director, said: “The importance of local journalism cannot be overstated. Local news outlets have historically functioned as vital governmental watchdogs. They hold elected… More
‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill Inserts “Heavy Hand” of Lawmakers Into Classroom Lessons
PEN America issued the following statement upon passage of Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill, from CEO Suzanne Nossel: "Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill amounts to a government diktat policing the… More
‘Alarming’ Suspension of Florida Student for Organizing Rally Against ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill
This comes as Florida moves to ban discussions of LGBTQ+ identities in schools, and books about LGBTQ+ lives are being removed from Florida's school library shelves. Petocz's efforts to… More
Shutdown of Independent Media Leaves Kremlin in Control of War Message at Home
“The years-long effort by the Kremlin to replace facts with propaganda, deny its citizens access to truthful information, and repress critiques and organized opposition is culminating with this sweeping,… More
Rights Groups to Iran: Drop charges against human rights activist Hossein Ronaghi
PEN America joins human rights groups in calling on Iranian authorities to drop charges against writer-activist Hossein Ronaghi. More
From Titans to Emerging Voices, 2022 Literary Awards Celebrate Remarkable Writing
PEN America Literary Awards returned as a vibrant live event—the first in-person awards ceremony since March 2020—celebrating the resilience of the literary and artistic communities across two years of… More