Advocacy
These books are banned in Martin County, Florida
Last week, Martin County, Florida, released a list of dozens of books it had removed from school libraries, including 20 books by Jodi Picoult, nine books from James Patterson's… More
PEN America supports challenge to DeSantis’ ‘Stop WOKE’ law
PEN America filed an Amicus brief in Honeyfund v. DeSantis, saying the law had a “profound chilling effect,” not only on employers like Honeyfund, but on educators across the… More
Oklahoma teacher is still fighting book bans, now from Brooklyn
Summer Boismier lost her job after she gave students a QR code to the Brooklyn Public Library’s Books Unbanned project. Now she’s helping teens fight book bans. More
Book Lovers Stage Read-In at State Capitol for ‘Let Utah Read’
PEN America was among the organizers of the protest against a rise in book bans in Utah. More
Laws restricting drag shows should scare everyone who believes in free expression
A wave of bills restricting free expression is building in state legislatures. This time, the target is drag performances. More
The Absurd Year in Educational Censorship, From Gay Penguins to the Gettysburg Address
It has been an absurd year for educational censorship. More
PEN America Urges Attorney General to Drop Charges Against Assange
PEN America joined with partner organizations to send a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, calling for charges against Julian Assange to be dropped. More
PEN America delegation to Ukraine bears witness to bravery of writers and citizens
A delegation from PEN America that included prominent writers Barbara Demick, Dave Eggers, and Peter Godwin visited Kyiv and witnessed the resilience of Ukrainian artists and writers. More
These 176 Books Were Banned in Duval County, Florida
PEN America presented a joint letter with We Need Diverse Books and authors and illustrators of 176 books removed from classrooms in Duval County, Florida, in January 2022 for… More
A Tip Sheet for Librarians Facing Harassment
This guide will help librarians mobilize and respond when there are campaigns to remove their books from their shelves that devolve into harassment. More