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Advocacy

  • A large group of people gather outdoors holding Palestinian flags, with a historic building and leafless trees in the background under a cloudy sky.

    PEN America Urges University of Minnesota Regents to Reconsider Restrictions on Departmental Speech

    Friday November 7
    Kristen Shahverdian, Jonathan Friedman

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  • A smiling man with curly hair and a beard, wearing a black jacket, is surrounded by people clapping and celebrating. A person in the background is holding a camera and filming the scene.

    2025 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award Honoree: Galal El-Behairy

    Tuesday May 13

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  • Joint Congressional Letter on Journalists Endangered by Shutdown of U.S. Agency for Global Media

    Tuesday April 1

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Banned Books

  • A portrait of author Malinda Lo wearing glasses is shown beside the cover of her book, Last Night at the Telegraph Club, which features neon signs and award stickers on an illustrated night-time city street.

    Uneasy About Sexual Content in a YA Novel? ‘Read the Whole Book,’ Urges Author Malinda Lo

    Tuesday November 25
    Julia Goldberg

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  • A collage of book covers, including “Fry Bread,” “Trickster,” “Sharice’s Big Voice,” “The Round House,” “Elatsoe,” and “The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee,” arranged in a repeating pattern.

    November is the Month to Celebrate Native American Culture, but the Stories That Do So Are Getting Banned

    Wednesday November 19
    AJ Connelly

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  • A smiling woman with brown hair stands next to the cover of a book titled Butt or Face? Super Gross Butts by Kari Lavelle, featuring a platypus with googly eyes on an orange background.

    ‘Super Gross Butts’ Book Judged by Silly Title

    Wednesday November 19
    AJ Connelly

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Campus Free Speech

  • A large group of people gather outdoors holding Palestinian flags, with a historic building and leafless trees in the background under a cloudy sky.

    PEN America Urges University of Minnesota Regents to Reconsider Restrictions on Departmental Speech

    Friday November 7
    Kristen Shahverdian, Jonathan Friedman

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  • The image shows the Iowa State University entrance sign with the iconic campanile clock tower in the background, surrounded by trees and clear blue sky.

    New Rules on ‘Controversial Topics’ Create Chill in Universities in Iowa

    Thursday August 28
    Amy Reid, Malka Margolies, Clare Carter

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  • ‘It’s up to us’: Student Organizer Uplifts Community to Defend Free Expression

    Thursday August 21
    Clare Carter

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Disinformation

  • A person chops wood with an axe; logos for NPR, CPB, and PBS are edited onto chopped wood pieces. White text above reads, “PUBLIC MEDIA IS ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK. DONT CENSOR AMERICA.” PEN America’s logo is in the bottom right corner.

    Congress might rescind funding for public media. Here’s where PEN America stands.

    Friday June 13

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  • A diverse group of protesters hold signs in English and Spanish advocating for immigrant rights and against deportation. One sign reads EDUCACIÓN NO DEPORTACIÓN. The crowd looks passionate and engaged.

    Guide to Combating Los Angeles Immigration Protest Mis/Disinformation

    Wednesday June 11
    Henry Hicks, Leo Goldberg

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  • A newspaper page titled Summer reading list for 2025 features colorful book icons at the top, a photo of a woman browsing books, and columns of text describing recommended books and their summaries.

    AI-Generated Fake Book List Seems Funny, but Reflects the Technology’s Danger to Journalism

    Wednesday May 21
    AJ Connelly, Timothy Richardson

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Educational Censorship

  • Students walk and gather on a sunny day in front of a historic stone building with arched windows and a steep roof on a college campus, surrounded by green trees and grass.

    What is Trump’s Compact for Higher Education? — FAQ

    Tuesday November 11
    Aileen Favilla

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  • A large group of people gather outdoors holding Palestinian flags, with a historic building and leafless trees in the background under a cloudy sky.

    PEN America Urges University of Minnesota Regents to Reconsider Restrictions on Departmental Speech

    Friday November 7
    Kristen Shahverdian, Jonathan Friedman

    Read More
  • The image shows the Iowa State University entrance sign with the iconic campanile clock tower in the background, surrounded by trees and clear blue sky.

    New Rules on ‘Controversial Topics’ Create Chill in Universities in Iowa

    Thursday August 28
    Amy Reid, Malka Margolies, Clare Carter

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Emerging Voices

  • A promotional graphic for PEN Americas 2025 Emerging Voices Final Reading, featuring headshots of ten diverse individuals above and below the event title in bold red and black text.

    2025 Emerging Voices Fellows Close Out ‘Transformative’ Experience 

    Monday November 3
    Julia Goldberg

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  • A collage of eight people with diverse backgrounds, genders, and hairstyles, smiling or looking thoughtfully at the camera, set against varied indoor and outdoor backgrounds.

    2025 Emerging Voices Fellows | The PEN Ten Interview 

    Friday October 17

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  • A group of people sit around a large, U-shaped table in a bright room, actively listening to a woman standing and speaking at the front, with laptops, papers, and drinks on the table.

    PEN America’s Emerging Voices Workshop gives CA writers a chance to go deep, connect, and grow

    Monday June 30
    Lane Michael Stanley

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Florida

  • A woman stands in front of a PEN America banner and a screen with blueprints, speaking to an audience. She is gesturing with one hand and holding papers in the other. A window shows a street sign for Pine St outside.

    Inside Florida’s Book Ban Fight: How Communities Push Back

    Tuesday November 18
    William Johnson

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  • A diverse group of adults stands outside a building, holding signs with messages like Let Us Read and Let Our Kids Read. They appear to be peacefully protesting or advocating for reading and education.

    Florida’s Incomplete Education: How Censorship Fails Our Students

    Friday August 29

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  • A collage of various LGBTQ+ themed book covers, including titles like This Book is Gay, One Last Stop, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, and Homegoing, arranged in a diagonal, repeating pattern.

    Why PEN America is Doubling Down on Florida

    Monday August 4
    Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf, Summer Lopez

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Gala

  • A man in a black suit smiles while speaking at a podium with a PEN America sign. The background features multiple PEN America logos on a dark backdrop.

    Taye Diggs Remarks Presenting PEN America Business Visionary Award to Macmillan Publishers CEO Jon Yaged

    Thursday May 22
    Taye Diggs

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  • Three people dressed in formal evening wear sit at a red-covered table at an event, smiling at the camera, with glasses of wine and an award visible on the table in front of them.

    Patrick Radden Keefe Remarks Presenting the PEN/Audible Literary Service Award to Sarah Jessica Parker

    Thursday May 22
    Patrick Radden Keefe

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  • A man in a tuxedo speaks at a clear podium with a “PEN America” sign, while a woman stands nearby holding papers. The backdrop displays multiple “PEN America” logos.

    Wesleyan University President Michael Roth’s Remarks Accepting the PEN/Benenson Courage Award

    Monday May 19

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Global Free Expression


  • “Freedom Forbidden”: The Poets Behind Bars for Their Words

    Monday November 17
    Karin Deutsch Karlekar

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  • Six people stand together in an office, smiling and holding signs that read: Welcome to New York, Vlad, Free them all, and Vlads Free. A wall sign says PEN America: The Freedom to Write.

    Freed Ukrainian Journalist’s Message: Your Solidarity Could Save Lives

    Friday November 7
    Veronica Tien

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  • A hand holds up a sign with a photo of Jamal Khashoggi and text in English and Arabic, reading Khashoggis friends against a dark blue evening sky.

    As the Saudi Government Sponsors Comedy, Let’s Speak Up for Saudi Writers at Risk

    Friday October 10
    Karin Deutsch Karlekar

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Literary Awards

  • A collage of book covers, each showcasing diverse designs and titles, forms the backdrop. Overlay text reads 61st Annual Literary Awards Ceremony: The Oscars for Books in bold, elegant font.

    Announcing the 2025 PEN America Literary Awards Winners

    Friday May 9

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  • Book cover for Best Debut Short Stories 2025 with colorful abstract shapes. Text lists editors Kendall Storey and Elizabeth Pankova, and judges. A gold PEN America Literary Award winner badge appears to the right.

    Twelve Emerging Writers To Receive 2025 PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize

    Friday April 25

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  • A white graphic with gold lines radiating from the edges features the text: PEN America PEN/Heim Translation Fund literary grants in black, centered font.

    Michael Heim’s Choice: A Letter from Michael Kerr to the Translation Community

    Friday April 18

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Literary Community

  • Two people sit on stage in conversation at a 92NY event, facing an audience. Behind them are black banners with 92NY in white letters. The atmosphere appears to be that of a live discussion or interview.

    Sam Sussman Celebrates ‘High-Wire Literary Act’

    Friday October 17
    Julia Goldberg

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  • A promotional image features headshots of seven diverse individuals above the text: Secrets of Publishing: A Conversation with Literary Agents, Editors, and Authors. PEN America and P&T logos are on the lower right.

    Six Experts Pull Back the Curtain on Publishing 

    Friday September 19
    Julia Goldberg

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  • A group of people sit around a large, U-shaped table in a bright room, actively listening to a woman standing and speaking at the front, with laptops, papers, and drinks on the table.

    PEN America’s Emerging Voices Workshop gives CA writers a chance to go deep, connect, and grow

    Monday June 30
    Lane Michael Stanley

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Literary Programs

  • A promotional graphic for PEN Americas 2025 Emerging Voices Final Reading, featuring headshots of ten diverse individuals above and below the event title in bold red and black text.

    2025 Emerging Voices Fellows Close Out ‘Transformative’ Experience 

    Monday November 3
    Julia Goldberg

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  • Four people sit on a stage panel discussion with plants around them. Behind them is a large screen displaying the event title Borderless Voices along with portraits and names of the panelists.

    DREAMing Out Loud Amplifies Migrant Voices Amid Climate of Fear

    Thursday October 30
    Julia Goldberg

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  • A collage of eight people with diverse backgrounds, genders, and hairstyles, smiling or looking thoughtfully at the camera, set against varied indoor and outdoor backgrounds.

    2025 Emerging Voices Fellows | The PEN Ten Interview 

    Friday October 17

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Membership

  • Split image: On the left, an older man in glasses and a hat holds a teacup and smiles; on the right, the cover of a memoir titled Of Time and Punishment, showing a tattooed, muscular person from behind.

    ‘I’ve Always Been Fighting’: JD Mathes on How Writers Form an Army

    Wednesday August 20

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  • Breaking Down Barriers and Taking Up Space With Immigration Narratives

    Tuesday August 5

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  • A woman with long dark hair and gold hoop earrings smiles warmly at the camera. She is indoors, with a blurred background featuring a leafy plant and a colorful picture on the wall.

    Sharing Stories of Persistence and Survival Across Time and Borders

    Wednesday July 9
    Aryo Wicaksono

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Online Abuse & Digital Safety

  • A smiling person with long, light brown hair stands next to the cover of a children’s book titled “What Are Your Words?,” featuring diverse illustrated children and various pronouns in colorful text.

    Danger in the Inbox: How Authors Can Feel Safe Using Email

    Tuesday October 7

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  • A woman with long dark hair is pictured next to the cover of a book titled To Those Who Have Confused You to Be a Person by Alia Dastagir, featuring a hand holding a phone with stylized flames.

    When the Mob Isn’t ‘Just Online’

    Wednesday July 9
    Amanda Wells

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  • A black and white photo showing a group of people holding and reading books, with their faces partially out of focus or cropped out of the frame.

    As Threats and Harassment of Authors Spill Over Into Bookstore Appearances, Safety Experts Offer Guidance

    Thursday May 29
    Suzanne Trimel

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Organizational

  • A stone sign reading University of Pennsylvania stands at the entrance to a campus walkway lined with trees, benches, and street lamps, with people walking and smoke rising in the background.

    PEN America Speaks: How We Defended And Celebrated Free Expression the Week Of November 24 

    Wednesday November 26

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  • PEN America Speaks: How We Defended And Celebrated Free Expression the Week Of November 17

    Friday November 21

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  • A collage featuring a hand, a laptop, speech bubbles, a lock, an eye, and light bulbs on a blue background with abstract shapes. Pen America and Coalition Against Online Violence logos appear in the corner.

    PEN America Speaks: How We Defended And Celebrated Free Expression the Week Of November 10

    Friday November 14

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PEN/ESPN

  • 2015 PEN/ ESPN Award for Literary Sports Writing

    Monday February 2

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  • 2012 PEN/ESPN Lifetime Achievement Award for Literary Sports Writing

    Wednesday November 14

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Press Freedom

  • Two men sit side by side in an ornate room with gold decorations. One wears traditional Saudi attire and gestures while speaking; the other, known for Trump attacks journalists, wears a dark suit and red tie, looking forward with a neutral expression.

    ‘Quiet, Piggy’ ‘Terrible Reporter’: President Trump Escalates Assault on Journalists

    Friday November 21
    Timothy Richardson, Viktorya Vilk

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  • A person wearing a black helmet, sunglasses, and a vest labeled PRESS stands outdoors on a sunny day, with blue sky and clouds visible in the background.

    A Perilous Moment for Press Freedom: The U.S. Government Moving to Deport a Journalist in Retaliation For His Reporting

    Tuesday September 30
    Timothy Richardson

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  • In my small southeast Alaska town public radio is literally a lifeline

    Wednesday July 16

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Prison and Justice Writing

  • A smiling man with short curly hair and a beard is in the center. The background is a colorful collage with abstract shapes, butterflies, a red pen, and paper textures.

    Derek Trumbo Sr. Left Prison an Accomplished Author, a Pathway Opened By PEN America’s Prison and Justice Writing Program

    Tuesday November 25
    Julia Goldberg

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  • The red and blue graphic for the 2023 Pen America Prison Writing Awards showcases categories like Poetry, Fiction, Essay, Memoir, and Drama. It features imaginative elements such as a butterfly, ticket stubs, a pen, and a city skyline silhouette.

    PEN America Prison Writing Award Winners: 2025

    Wednesday November 5

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  • Split image: On the left, an older man in glasses and a hat holds a teacup and smiles; on the right, the cover of a memoir titled Of Time and Punishment, showing a tattooed, muscular person from behind.

    ‘I’ve Always Been Fighting’: JD Mathes on How Writers Form an Army

    Wednesday August 20

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Resource


  • #FactChallenge: Media Literacy Course on WhatsApp Leading up to the 2024 Elections

    Friday June 7

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  • A repeating pattern of five different book covers arranged diagonally, including “Swim Home to the Vanished,” “The Lesser Blessed,” “Where the Dead Sit Talking,” “A Calm and Normal Heart,” and “The Removed.”.

    Morgan Talty recommends what you should read for Native American Heritage Month

    Tuesday November 21

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  • A diagonal pattern featuring the covers of five different books, including “There There,” “Homegoing,” “A Council of Dolls,” and others, arranged in a repeating grid on a white background.

    Native American Heritage Month – Reading List by Oscar Hokeah

    Friday November 17

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Translation

  • A smiling woman with short curly hair stands beside a brick wall. Next to her is text featuring the book Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq, an excerpt, and mentions of awards and translator Deepa Bhasti.

    Language as Culture, History, and Stories: Deepa Bhasthi on the Heart of Translation

    Tuesday August 26
    Amulya Hiremath

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  • Two authors are pictured in circular frames, one woman on the left with dreadlocks and an orange top, one man in a light shirt on the right. Beside them is the book cover for Solitaria by Eliana Alves Cruz.

    Eliana Alves Cruz’s Novel Illuminates Brazil’s ‘Deep Historical Wounds’

    Monday August 11
    Amy Reid

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  • A diagonal collage of various book covers, including colorful illustrations, photographs, and text. The covers feature titles such as “Silence and Loss of Words,” “Heart Lamp,” “Where We Stand,” and “Wild Chicago.”.

    Women in Translation Month Celebrates Literary Art of Translation As AI Looms Large

    Friday August 1
    Julia Goldberg

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U.S. Free Expression

  • A collage of diverse LGBTQ+ themed book covers, including titles like Felix Ever After, Melissa, Cemetery Boys, I Am Jazz, and others, arranged in a repeating diagonal pattern on a white background.

    Gender Expression Is Free Expression: Uplifting the Voices of Trans Authors

    Thursday November 20

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  • A sheriffs deputy stands in a classroom speaking to students. One student sits at a desk; faces are blurred. Classroom walls have colorful decorations. Text at the bottom reads, its now against the law to use the words six seven.

    6-7 Might Be Annoying, but Should We Police It?

    Wednesday November 19
    Kristen Shahverdian

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  • Students walk and gather on a sunny day in front of a historic stone building with arched windows and a steep roof on a college campus, surrounded by green trees and grass.

    What is Trump’s Compact for Higher Education? — FAQ

    Tuesday November 11
    Aileen Favilla

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World Voices Festival

  • Four panelists sit on stage in front of a PEN America World Voices Festival banner, engaging with an audience, with one person signing in American Sign Language.

    Propaganda, Isolation, Censorship, and Entertainment: What Overseas Press Know About the Authoritarian Playbook

    Friday September 12

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  • Three women sit on stage at the PEN America World Voices Festival, engaged in a panel discussion. Two listen while one, wearing glasses and patterned dress, gestures as she speaks. Colorful graphics are displayed in the background.

    Surviving the Impossible: Women Navigate Death and Grief in a Complex Healthcare System

    Monday August 18
    Amulya Hiremath

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  • Six people sit on stage in front of a screen that reads “PEN America World Voices Festival for the love of books,” participating in a panel discussion while an audience watches.

    World Voices Festival: On Autocracy and the Slow Death of Democracy

    Wednesday July 16
    Julia Goldberg

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Writer Opportunities

  • A collage of seven people smiling outdoors in different settings, some with greenery in the background. They each have unique hairstyles and are wearing casual clothing.

    ‘This Thing You’re Doing Is Worth It’: Rising Fiction Stars Celebrate PEN/Dau Prize

    Thursday January 23
    Amulya Hiremath

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  • A collage of various book covers displayed at different angles. The covers feature diverse designs, colors, and illustrations, with titles in bold typography.

    A Year of Books By PEN America Members 2024

    Thursday December 19

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  • 2024 Free Expression Essay Competition Winners

    Monday July 15

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Writers


  • Breaking Down Barriers and Taking Up Space With Immigration Narratives

    Tuesday August 5

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  • A woman with long dark hair and gold hoop earrings smiles warmly at the camera. She is indoors, with a blurred background featuring a leafy plant and a colorful picture on the wall.

    Sharing Stories of Persistence and Survival Across Time and Borders

    Wednesday July 9
    Aryo Wicaksono

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  • A woman wearing a coral sleeveless top, beaded necklace, and hoop earrings smiles outdoors, with a lush green forest and snow-capped mountains in the background.

    Finance for Artists: Uchechi Kalu on the Stories We Tell About Money

    Wednesday June 18
    Aleah Gatto

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Writers at Risk


  • “Freedom Forbidden”: The Poets Behind Bars for Their Words

    Monday November 17
    Karin Deutsch Karlekar

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  • Six people stand together in an office, smiling and holding signs that read: Welcome to New York, Vlad, Free them all, and Vlads Free. A wall sign says PEN America: The Freedom to Write.

    Freed Ukrainian Journalist’s Message: Your Solidarity Could Save Lives

    Friday November 7
    Veronica Tien

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  • A hand holds up a sign with a photo of Jamal Khashoggi and text in English and Arabic, reading Khashoggis friends against a dark blue evening sky.

    As the Saudi Government Sponsors Comedy, Let’s Speak Up for Saudi Writers at Risk

    Friday October 10
    Karin Deutsch Karlekar

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Writing as Craft

  • A man with short gray hair and a beard smiles softly beside the book cover of The Emergency by George Packer, featuring a painted face with cracks and green vines on a black background.

    George Packer’s ‘The Emergency’ Wants Us To Rekindle Our Shared Sense of Humanity

    Wednesday November 12
    Julia Goldberg

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  • Portrait of a woman with wavy dark hair next to the cover of the book Lightbreakers: A Novel by Aja Gabel, featuring a cactus and abstract orange and pink circles on a yellow background.

    Using Science Fiction to Write About Grief, Marriage, and Memory

    Friday November 7
    Sabir Sultan

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  • A smiling person in a hoodie holds a tabby cat, with a red circle behind them. Next to them is the book cover of I Deliver Parcels in Beijing by Hu Anyan, featuring an illustrated cityscape and a person with parcels.

    Humor, Exhaustion, and Resilience in the Ups and Downs of a Delivery Worker in China

    Thursday October 30
    Malka Margolies

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