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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

  • Five smiling people are shown in individual portrait photos above the text: “2025 Annual General Meeting, Writing Our Way Forward: Authors, Activism, and Artistry. Professional Membership Exclusive.” PEN America logo at bottom right.

    2025 Annual General Meeting: Looking to Challenges Past, Present, and Future

    Tuesday December 23
    Andrew White

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  • A man with glasses and a beard is shown next to the cover of the book Looking for Alaska by John Green, which features rising smoke on a black background.

    John Green, Author of Most Banned Book, Says It’s No Badge of Honor

    Tuesday December 16
    Lisa Tolin

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  • A copy of Looking for Alaska by John Green stands upright on a wooden surface, with a gold award seal on the cover; colorful, blurred books are stacked in the background.

    Top 52 Banned Books: The Most Banned Books in U.S. Schools 

    Tuesday December 16
    Lisa Tolin

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Campus Free Speech

  • A man at a protest holds a red and yellow sign listing Types of Property: Women, Slaves, Animals, Cars, Land, etc. Other people and trees are visible in the background.

    Is Hate Speech Free Speech? 

    Monday January 5
    Kristen Shahverdian

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  • Audience seated in a lecture hall, with two people at the back holding a sign that reads Raskin STOP ARMING ISRAEL. The mood appears attentive, and some people are looking toward the sign.

    What is a Heckler’s Veto?

    Friday December 5
    Aileen Favilla

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  • A bronze statue of a historical figure stands on a brick platform outdoors, with autumn trees in the background. A green sign in front reads FREE SPEECH ZONE in bold white letters.

    Are ‘Free Speech Zones’ Constitutional?

    Friday December 5
    Kristen Shahverdian

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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
    Eileen AJ Connelly, Timothy Richardson

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Educational Censorship

  • A smiling bald man with a gray beard stands by a brick wall; next to him are two blue banners with a white osprey logo and text reading “UNF University of North Florida” against a clear blue sky.

    Snapshots of Censorship: ‘It’s Only 3 or 4 Words’

    Wednesday December 17
    Dr. John W. White

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  • A woman with long brown hair wearing a beige blazer and black top stands outside, smiling. Next to her is a building wall with the NSF logo, featuring a globe and stylized sunburst.

    Snapshots of Censorship: When Grants are Cancelled, Students Pay the Price

    Wednesday December 17
    Dr. Reem Jaafar

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  • A man with glasses and a suit smiles at the camera on the left; on the right is a large stone building with a statue and a tall tower, surrounded by trees.

    Snapshots of Censorship: Censoring Ethics at West Point

    Wednesday December 10
    Dr. Graham Parsons

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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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Emerging Voices LA

  • A small group attends a panel discussion with four speakers seated in front of a PEN America banner in a bright room. The audience listens attentively, sitting on couches and chairs facing the speakers.

    Emerging Voices Workshop Builds Community, Deepens Craft, and Demystifies Publishing for New Voices 

    Tuesday December 16
    Lane Michael Stanley

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Florida

  • A blueprint-style map of Florida is labeled with terms like “Book Bans,” “Parental Rights,” “Educational Censorship,” and legislative terms such as “STOP W.O.K.E. Act,” suggesting restricted education policies.

    Why the Florida Department of Education’s Book Ban Numbers Are a Vast Undercount

    Thursday December 4
    William Johnson

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  • 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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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

  • Five people sit on a stage in a panel discussion at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. Four listen while one person speaks into a microphone; water bottles are on the tables in front of them.

    ‘We’ve Seen This Before’: Lessons for the Press on Authoritarianism 

    Tuesday December 16
    Julia Goldberg

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  • A woman wearing a hijab and protective vest stands smiling in front of tents and damaged buildings in an urban area, with people walking in the background.

    In Her Words: Women on Genocide and Rebuilding Gaza

    Wednesday December 3
    Ibtisam Mahdi

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

    Monday November 17
    Karin Deutsch Karlekar

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Literary Awards

  • Event graphic for Reading from Best Debut Short Stories 2025 featuring the book cover, nine author headshots, host Lydi Conklin’s name, event partners’ logos, and colorful circles as design elements.

    ‘A Dream Come True’: 12 Debut Writers Celebrate Winning the PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize

    Monday January 5
    Julia Goldberg

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  • A graphic with the text PEN America Literary Awards Longlists in gold and black, surrounded by gold lines radiating from the corners on a white background.

    Announcing the 2026 PEN America Literary Awards Longlists

    Thursday December 18

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  • White graphic with gold rays radiating from the edges. In the center, it reads PEN America Literary Grants in bold, black text.

    Announcing the 2026 PEN America Grant Winners

    Tuesday December 2

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Literary Community

  • Event graphic for Reading from Best Debut Short Stories 2025 featuring the book cover, nine author headshots, host Lydi Conklin’s name, event partners’ logos, and colorful circles as design elements.

    ‘A Dream Come True’: 12 Debut Writers Celebrate Winning the PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize

    Monday January 5
    Julia Goldberg

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  • 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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Literary Programs

  • A small group attends a panel discussion with four speakers seated in front of a PEN America banner in a bright room. The audience listens attentively, sitting on couches and chairs facing the speakers.

    Emerging Voices Workshop Builds Community, Deepens Craft, and Demystifies Publishing for New Voices 

    Tuesday December 16
    Lane Michael Stanley

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  • 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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Membership

  • Five smiling people are shown in individual portrait photos above the text: “2025 Annual General Meeting, Writing Our Way Forward: Authors, Activism, and Artistry. Professional Membership Exclusive.” PEN America logo at bottom right.

    2025 Annual General Meeting: Looking to Challenges Past, Present, and Future

    Tuesday December 23
    Andrew White

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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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  • Breaking Down Barriers and Taking Up Space With Immigration Narratives

    Tuesday August 5

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Online Abuse & Digital Safety

  • Five people stand in front of a screen displaying the title Holistic Safety Clinic: How to protect yourself in an increasingly hostile environment and logos for IWMF, PEN America, and AEGIS Safety Alliance.

    We spoke about safety at a dozen journalism conferences in 2025. Here’s what we learned.

    Tuesday December 9

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  • A digital illustration with a hand holding a laptop, surrounded by icons like a clock, lightbulb, lock, and chat bubbles. Text reads: Leading the Way: Building Safer Newsrooms for Journalists. Pen America and CAOV logos are shown.

    Five Newsroom Leaders Share Best Online Safety Practices

    Wednesday December 3
    Julia Goldberg

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  • 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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Organizational

  • A word cloud on a black background featuring terms like Accessible, Immigrants, Cultural Sensitivity, Pregnant People, Underserved, Equal Opportunity, Minority, Trauma, and Socioeconomic.

    PEN America Speaks: How We Defended And Celebrated Free Expression the Week Of December 22

    Wednesday December 24

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  • Five smiling people are shown in individual portrait photos above the text: “2025 Annual General Meeting, Writing Our Way Forward: Authors, Activism, and Artistry. Professional Membership Exclusive.” PEN America logo at bottom right.

    2025 Annual General Meeting: Looking to Challenges Past, Present, and Future

    Tuesday December 23
    Andrew White

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  • A matchbox with matches sits on a black surface. Inside the box is a paper with highlighted text about banning books, mentioning LGBTQIA+ content, political indoctrination, and book accessibility. Two burnt matches lie beside the box.

    PEN America Speaks: How We Defended And Celebrated Free Expression the Week Of December 15 

    Friday December 19

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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

  • Five people sit on a stage in a panel discussion at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. Four listen while one person speaks into a microphone; water bottles are on the tables in front of them.

    ‘We’ve Seen This Before’: Lessons for the Press on Authoritarianism 

    Tuesday December 16
    Julia Goldberg

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  • 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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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


  • Ben Folds on Resigning From the Kennedy Center: What Would Rostropovich Do?

    Tuesday December 23
    Lisa Tolin

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  • Federal Government’s Growing Banned Words List Is Chilling Act of Censorship

    Monday December 22
    Eileen AJ Connelly

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  • A word cloud on a black background featuring terms like Accessible, Immigrants, Cultural Sensitivity, Pregnant People, Underserved, Equal Opportunity, Minority, Trauma, and Socioeconomic.

    Head Start Programs Are Latest Target in Trump’s War on Words

    Monday December 22
    Eileen AJ Connelly, Jonathan Friedman

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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


  • Ben Folds on Resigning From the Kennedy Center: What Would Rostropovich Do?

    Tuesday December 23
    Lisa Tolin

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  • Ten colorful book covers are displayed in two rows. Each cover features distinct titles, author names, and unique designs, showcasing a variety of fonts, colors, and graphics against a light gray background.

    What Do Authors Need When They Travel?

    Monday December 22

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  • A woman with wavy brown hair and a red top stands in front of a red circle, next to the cover of a book titled Galápagos by Fátima Vélez, featuring a purple illustration of a ship on green background.

    How a Contemporary Plague Novel Drew on the Voice of a Community

    Thursday December 18
    Aileen Favilla

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