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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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  • A journalist wearing a vest labeled PRESS photographs a devastated urban area with damaged buildings, debris, and two people walking in the background under a clear blue sky.

    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 speaker addresses a seated audience in a marble hall; many attendees hold up books. Two “Let Utah Read” signs are visible behind the speaker, and people listen attentively to the event.

    More Books, Less Fear: Utah Stands Up for the Right to Read

    Friday March 20
    Yuliana Tamayo Latorre

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  • A smiling man with glasses and long braids appears next to the cover of a book titled “Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age” by Ibram X. Kendi.

    Ibram X. Kendi Has Received a Lot of Hate. His New Book on Authoritarianism Helped Him Realize It Was Never Personal. 

    Wednesday March 18
    Julia Goldberg

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  • A collage of various book covers, including titles by Barack Obama, Malala Yousafzai, Oprah, Bill Clinton, Michelle Obama, Guinness World Records 2024, Marvel comics, and more, arranged diagonally on a white background.

    Obamas, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush Among 1,500 Books Banned in Texas School District 

    Friday March 13
    Lisa Tolin

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Campus Free Speech

  • A person with long hair and glasses speaks at a podium marked with the Texas seal, surrounded by seven people. A large THE STATE OF TEXAS emblem is displayed on the wall behind them.

    ‘Holding that Ember Alive’: Student Advocacy Against The Tide in Texas

    Friday March 20
    Clare Carter

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  • Four people sit in large chairs on a stage in front of plants and a wooden wall, having a panel discussion. Audience members watch, some filming with phones. The atmosphere is formal and attentive.

    ‘You Have to Teach the Thing They Tell You Not to’: Defending Academic Freedom at the University of Texas

    Tuesday March 17

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  • A man stands at an outdoor table covered with PEN America materials, talking to another man carrying a backpack. The table is set up in front of a building with large windows.

    Inside the Fight to Keep Academic Freedom Alive at Texas A&M

    Thursday March 12
    Clare Carter, Julia Goldberg

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Disinformation

  • A group of cyclists gathered on a city street, several wearing bright yellow vests reading Peaceful Observer DONT SHOOT, participating in a demonstration under clear skies.

    Arrests, Disinformation and Local Journalism: Six Lessons from Minneapolis

    Friday February 6
    Timothy Richardson, Viktorya Vilk

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  • A close-up of an official visa document, showing the word VISA in bold white letters on a blue textured background. The top edge of part of a passport page is visible above the visa.

    Immigration Status is Being Used as a Weapon of Censorship by the Trump Administration

    Friday January 9
    Amanda Wells, Timothy Richardson

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  • 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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Educational Censorship

  • Four people sit in large chairs on a stage in front of plants and a wooden wall, having a panel discussion. Audience members watch, some filming with phones. The atmosphere is formal and attentive.

    ‘You Have to Teach the Thing They Tell You Not to’: Defending Academic Freedom at the University of Texas

    Tuesday March 17

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  • A man stands at an outdoor table covered with PEN America materials, talking to another man carrying a backpack. The table is set up in front of a building with large windows.

    Inside the Fight to Keep Academic Freedom Alive at Texas A&M

    Thursday March 12
    Clare Carter, Julia Goldberg

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  • A man with glasses and a beard wears a brown jacket and white shirt (left), beside a view of a university campus with a star seal on the ground and a clock tower in the background (right). Photo credit: Grindstone Media Group/Shutterstock.com.

    Snapshots of Censorship: Taking an Ethical Stand

    Monday March 2
    Dr. Leonard Bright

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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

  • Text over a blurred bookshelf reads nearly 9,000 books banned in Florida schools since 2021, with a red silhouette of the state of Florida on the left.

    Florida Is Doubling Down on Book Bans. Help Us Fight Back.

    Wednesday January 21
    Sophia Brown

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  • 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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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

  • A group of people stand indoors holding books, smiling at the camera. Boxes of books are on the table in front of them, alongside Ukrainian flags. Shelves of books and framed photos are in the background.

    When Survival Is at Stake: Fighting for Language and Literature in Ukraine

    Thursday March 12
    Dietlind Lerner

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  • A collage of four adults wearing head coverings, two men in flat caps and two women in hijabs, all facing the camera and posing against different backgrounds.

    “Culture in Gaza Is Not a Luxury”: Interviews With Palestinian Writers 

    Wednesday March 11
    Asma Laouira

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  • A collage of six women from diverse backgrounds, each facing the camera. Some are smiling, others have serious expressions. One holds a guitar, another has writing on her hand, and one speaks into a microphone.

    Why We Must Remember Women Writers on International Women’s Day

    Friday March 6
    Philippa H. Stewart

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Literary Awards

  • A diagonal grid of book covers featuring four different titles. Designs include a yellow hand illustration, a green pattern, a black-and-white cityscape, and a dark cover with white text. The covers repeat in a diagonal arrangement.

    A Peek Behind the Literary Awards Curtain: How the 2026 PEN Poetry in Translation Award Panel Chose Its Winner 

    Wednesday March 25
    Julia Goldberg

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  • Claudia Rankine speaks at a podium labeled PEN America as she wins a literary award for Citizen: An American Lyric. Behind her, people sit at tables and the book cover is displayed on a large screen.

    ‘A Wonderful Spotlight’: Open Book Award Recognizes Exceptional Literature by Authors of Color

    Wednesday March 18
    Julia Goldberg

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  • Book cover for Best Debut Short Stories 2026, edited by Kendall Storey and Elizabeth Panchova, with a gold PEN America Literary Award Winner badge beside it. Cover features illustrated hands holding books.

    The Twelve Winners of the 2026 PEN/Robert J.Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers Explore Uncommon Literary Terrain

    Friday February 20

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Literary Community

  • A colorful storefront of Moon Palace Books with large windows displaying books and a blue sign reading ICE OUT! above the entrance. Reflections of the street and sky are visible in the glass.

    Book Community Supports Minneapolis Amid ICE Raids

    Wednesday January 28

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  • 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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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

  • A stylized hand writes words including Women, Diversity, Sexuality, Abortion, and Science. The image is captioned Fall of Freedom in bold black letters on a yellow background.

    Ban This: Writers Create Art From Banned Words

    Wednesday February 4

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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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  • 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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Online Abuse & Digital Safety

  • 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.

    How can small and local newsrooms protect journalists from online abuse?

    Tuesday March 10

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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.

    How can I protect the journalists in my newsroom from online harassment?

    Tuesday March 10

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  • Two students study at a table with open books and a laptop. One is writing while the other looks on. A dark purple background highlights their focus on the work.

    How Can Bystanders and Allies Support Targets of Online Abuse? 

    Tuesday February 10
    Amanda Wells

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PEN America

  • Overhead view of people sitting on a marble floor, some reading books, with protest signs in the center. One sign says SHAME ON YOU, and others mention book banning and censorship.

    PEN America Speaks: How We Defended And Celebrated Free Expression the Week Of March 16 

    Friday March 20

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  • A woman stands and speaks while holding a book at a table covered with stacked books, flanked by two seated men, in a bookstore filled with shelves and stuffed animals in the background.

    PEN America Speaks: How We Defended And Celebrated Free Expression the Week Of March 9

    Friday March 13

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  • Three people sit in chairs having a panel discussion in a library. Bookshelves fill the background and a banner reads “East Side Freedom Library.” A woman in the middle speaks into a microphone.

    PEN America Speaks: How We Defended And Celebrated Free Expression the Week Of March 2

    Friday March 6

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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

  • A metal sign on a building reads Voice of America. A blue vertical banner with the same text hangs nearby. The image is credited to DCStockPhotography/Shutterstock.com.

    Voice of America is Broadcasting Pro-Trump Propaganda, Lawsuit Argues 

    Tuesday March 24
    Suzanne Trimel

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  • Aerial view of the Pentagon building surrounded by parking lots, highways, and greenery in Arlington, Virginia, on a clear day. Photo Credit: Austin Nooe / Shutterstock.com.

    PEN America, Other Press Freedom Groups Urge Congress to Protect Stars and Stripes’ Editorial Independence

    Wednesday March 4

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  • A man in glasses and a white jacket stands in front of the Alma Mater statue and the columns of Columbia University’s library, looking slightly upward with a thoughtful expression.

    Iran’s Journalists: The Muted Voices of a Movement

    Tuesday February 17
    Kourosh Ziabari

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Prison and Justice Writing

  • A book cover with abstract black-and-white faces and shapes. Text below reads, OTHER THINGS UNSPOKEN, 2024 PEN Prison Writing Awards Anthology. The background is red, yellow, and blue with drawn butterflies.

    In Memoriam: David “Big Dave” Morrison

    Wednesday March 25

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  • A smiling man stands in front of colorful shapes and an abstract black-and-white book cover titled Other Things Unspoken: 2024 PEN Prison Writing Awards Anthology.

    An Introduction to the 2024 PEN Prison Writing Awards Anthology

    Wednesday March 25
    Frank Kensaku Saragosa

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  • 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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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

  • An older man with gray hair and a beard is talking to an older woman with long gray hair and glasses. The woman is smiling widely, and both are indoors, standing in front of a wooden background.

    PEN America Mourns the Death of Priscilla Heim, Who With Her Husband Michael Established the PEN/Heim Translation Fund

    Thursday January 15

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  • 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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U.S. Free Expression

  • A Zoom call with eight people smiling and waving. Three participants hold up a colorful book titled We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices. Bookshelves and home decor are visible in the background.

    ‘We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices’ Anthology Contributors Reunite to Support Minnesota Students 

    Thursday March 26
    Julia Goldberg

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  • A person with long hair and glasses speaks at a podium marked with the Texas seal, surrounded by seven people. A large THE STATE OF TEXAS emblem is displayed on the wall behind them.

    ‘Holding that Ember Alive’: Student Advocacy Against The Tide in Texas

    Friday March 20
    Clare Carter

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  • A smiling man with glasses and long braids appears next to the cover of a book titled “Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age” by Ibram X. Kendi.

    Ibram X. Kendi Has Received a Lot of Hate. His New Book on Authoritarianism Helped Him Realize It Was Never Personal. 

    Wednesday March 18
    Julia Goldberg

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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

  • A stylized hand writes words including Women, Diversity, Sexuality, Abortion, and Science. The image is captioned Fall of Freedom in bold black letters on a yellow background.

    Ban This: Writers Create Art From Banned Words

    Wednesday February 4

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  • A woman with long dark hair in an embroidered blouse poses with her hands near her chin. Next to her is the book cover for Somewhere We Are Human, edited by Reyna Grande and Sonia Guiñansaca, featuring flowers on a blue background.

    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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Writers at Risk

  • A collage of six women from diverse backgrounds, each facing the camera. Some are smiling, others have serious expressions. One holds a guitar, another has writing on her hand, and one speaks into a microphone.

    Why We Must Remember Women Writers on International Women’s Day

    Friday March 6
    Philippa H. Stewart

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  • A man with a beard, wearing a light blue button-up shirt, stands on stage and speaks into a microphone against a dark background.

    Prison for Poetry: Eight Years Behind Bars for Satire in Egypt

    Thursday March 5
    Asma Laouira

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  • A man with glasses and a beard, wearing a plaid shirt and necklace, smiles slightly while standing indoors in warm yellow lighting. Photo Credit: Courtesy Image appears in the top left corner.

    Open Letter from Writers Urging Release of Iranian Poet

    Tuesday February 24

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Writing as Craft

  • A woman with long dark hair and a gold necklace is shown next to the book cover for The Age of Calamities by Senaa Ahmad, featuring an illustration of a rider on a rearing horse.

    In Senaa Ahmad’s Debut Collection, Quirky What-Ifs About Historical Figures Come To Life 

    Friday February 27
    Abhigna Mooraka

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  • A woman with long dark hair looks at the camera, set against a red circle on a gray background. Next to her is the book BIRTHSTONES in the PROVINCE OF MERCY by Bo Hee Moon, featuring green and white artwork.

    Bo Hee Moon’s Adoptee Narrative Imagines What Might Have Been

    Thursday February 19

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  • A bald man with a slight smile is shown next to the book cover of Every Exit Brings You Home by Naeem Murr, which features a view from an airplane window with a person lying on the wing at sunset.

    With ‘Every Exit Brings You Home,’ Naeem Murr Draws On His Palestinian Heritage to Ask Universal Questions 

    Thursday February 12
    Mira Seyal

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