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Advocacy

  • A woman in a headscarf stands in front of a mountainous landscape, gazing into the distance. Farsi text overlays the left side of the image, and a photo credit is written vertically along the right edge. The image has a blue tint.

    We Write, Even if Our Freedom Is Bound: Letter From a Writer Imprisoned in Iran

    Wednesday June 3

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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

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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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Banned Books

  • A collage of various book covers, including The Bluest Eye, Wicked, Lucky, Nineteen Minutes, Forever, and others, displayed in a colorful, overlapping pattern.

    What Books Are Banned Statewide in Utah?

    Tuesday June 9
    Julia Goldberg

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  • A stack of four books sits on a wooden table in a library, with tall bookshelves filled with books blurred in the background.

    Congress Seizes on ‘Parents Rights’ Agenda to Nationalize Censorship in Public Schools

    Tuesday June 9
    Gloria Walker

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  • A collage of diverse children’s book covers, including titles like “What Are Your Words?”, “Give Bees a Chance,” “Who Was Mister Rogers?”, and “Invisible Man, Got the Whole World Watching.”.

    Nonfiction Banned Book List: Schools Banning More History, Health, Memoir and More

    Tuesday May 19

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Campus Free Speech

  • Students gather at an outdoor Dukes Vote information booth under a white tent on a college campus, with signs and decorations about voting. Some people are talking while others walk by in the background.

    Snapshots of Censorship: Keeping Politics Under Wraps On the Quad

    Monday June 1
    Dr. Abraham Goldberg

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  • A split image shows four young people with different hairstyles and outfits, all smiling or with neutral expressions, against various indoor backgrounds.

    How Four Student Fellows Catalyzed Campus Free Speech this Year

    Thursday May 21

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  • Four people are pictured in headshots above the text: Surveillance on the Quad: Privacy, Safety, and Protest. Logos for the University of California and PEN America are at the bottom right.

    What You Need to Know About the Free Expression Implications of Surveillance Technology on Campus

    Wednesday May 20

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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


  • Rewriting the Accreditation Playbook

    Thursday June 11
    Jeffrey Adam Sachs, Amy Reid

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  • A stack of four books sits on a wooden table in a library, with tall bookshelves filled with books blurred in the background.

    Congress Seizes on ‘Parents Rights’ Agenda to Nationalize Censorship in Public Schools

    Tuesday June 9
    Gloria Walker

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  • A woman with red curly hair and glasses looks to the right, next to a digital shield with a lock icon and other security symbols.

    Snapshots of Censorship: Doxing Sows Fear and Censors Speech

    Wednesday May 27
    Dr. Karen J. Leader

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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

  • The image shows the Florida State Capitol building in Tallahassee, featuring a white facade, red-and-white striped window awnings, a central dome, and a tall modern tower in the background under a blue sky.

    A Bit of Good News: 3 Book Ban Bills Defeated in Florida

    Tuesday April 14
    Sophia Brown

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  • A person sits at a small table in a bookstore, signing copies of “A Night at the Disco.” Three people stand nearby, holding books and waiting in line, with shelves of books in the background.

    Pleasure and Insight: A Year of Literary Conversations in Florida

    Tuesday April 14
    William Johnson

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  • 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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Gala

  • Two women in formal dresses smile and hold glass awards in front of a PEN America backdrop with the slogan The Freedom to Write repeated across it.

    For Spearheading Local Fight Against Book Bans, Rutherford County Library Alliance Honored With PEN/Benenson Courage Award 

    Friday May 22
    Julia Goldberg

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  • 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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Global Free Expression

  • A woman in a headscarf stands in front of a mountainous landscape, gazing into the distance. Farsi text overlays the left side of the image, and a photo credit is written vertically along the right edge. The image has a blue tint.

    We Write, Even if Our Freedom Is Bound: Letter From a Writer Imprisoned in Iran

    Wednesday June 3

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  • A hallway with rows of international flags leads to a screen displaying a headline about Ukrainian women journalists. Nearby, six people sit on a panel in discussion, with floor-to-ceiling windows in the background.

    The Courage of Women Writers Preserving Ukraine’s Stories

    Monday April 27
    Erika Nguyen, Anna Brakha

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  • A man reads at a podium in a bookstore, while a projected screen displays a photo and biography of poet Gülnisa Imin, along with her poem “The women’s prison” and a translation credit. Shelves of books and a window are visible.

    “Freedom to write, freedom of soul”: Aziz Isa Elkun, Uyghur PEN Centre President, on Poetry as Resistance

    Friday April 24
    Erika Nguyen

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Literary Awards

  • A woman with long light brown hair and red lipstick smiles at an outdoor café. Next to her is the book cover for She Who Remains by Rene Karabash, featuring abstract mountains and a partially obscured face.

    Support That ‘Cannot Be Overstated’: How the PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grant Led to the International Booker Prize Shortlist 

    Tuesday April 28
    Julia Goldberg

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  • A woman stands at a podium smiling while speaking on stage at a literary awards event, with another woman standing behind her. The screen shows PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater Award: Julia Cho.

    ‘Thank You for Waking Me Up’: Playwright Julia Cho Recommits to Writing After Receiving Career Achievement Award 

    Wednesday April 22

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  • A smiling man holds a large circular “PEN America Literary Award Winner” sign and a certificate. He stands in front of a backdrop with repeated PEN America logos and the phrase The Freedom to Write.

    Cannupa Hanska Luger, Winner of the 2026 PEN/Jean Stein Book Award, Knows the Power of Make-Believe

    Friday April 17
    Julia Goldberg

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Literary Community

  • A panel of six people sits in front of an audience in a bookstore, discussing on stage next to PEN America and PST banners, with string lights overhead and bookshelves in the background.

    How to Publish a Book With the Big 5: 6 Experts Weigh in 

    Thursday May 7
    Julia Goldberg

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  • 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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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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Local News

  • A sign under a metal awning reads “NORTH CAROLINA PUBLIC RADIO WUNC.” A green sign shows Washington Bay 6. Brick buildings and greenery are visible in the background.

    Defunding public media will hit rural communities in the US hardest

    Wednesday May 7
    Eileen AJ Connelly

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  • Grinning in grayscale, Andrew DeVigal dons a dark jacket over a light shirt. The backdrop showcases textured gray punctuated by red and black squares, with a prominent quotation mark on the right side.

    Local news is pivotal in the fight to save democracy, expert says

    Wednesday September 25
    Mina Haq

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  • A collage of nine diverse individuals, each smiling, with the text: Reviving Local News: Leaders in the Movement to Preserve and Protect Democracy and the PEN America logo at the bottom.

    The Crisis of Local News: Journalists and Members of Congress Look for Answers

    Tuesday March 15

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Membership

  • A woman with straight black hair and bangs smiles at the camera, wearing a sleeveless black top and necklace. The background is gray with overlapping abstract red and gray shapes.

    In Conversation With Literary Agent Renée Zuckerbrot: An Insider’s Perspective on the Industry 

    Tuesday June 9
    Abhigna Mooraka

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  • 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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Online Abuse & Digital Safety

  • A woman with long brown hair smiles at the camera on the left; on the right, a large illuminated “UMB” sign is shown on the side of a building. Photo credit: University of Maryland, Baltimore/Matthew P. D’Agostino.

    What It’s Like To Get Placed On A Professor Watchlist

    Friday May 29
    beck Haberstroh, Kayla Masterman

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  • A stack of four books sits on a wooden table in a library, with tall bookshelves filled with books blurred in the background.

    Librarians increasingly face online abuse. Here are three steps they can take to protect themselves.

    Thursday May 28
    Amanda Wells, beck Haberstroh

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  • Four people are pictured in headshots above the text: Surveillance on the Quad: Privacy, Safety, and Protest. Logos for the University of California and PEN America are at the bottom right.

    What You Need to Know About the Free Expression Implications of Surveillance Technology on Campus

    Wednesday May 20

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PEN America


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

    Thursday June 18

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  • PEN America Speaks: How We Defended And Celebrated Free Expression the Week Of June 8 

    Friday June 12

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  • A group of people stands and sits under a white “Dukes Vote” tent on a campus sidewalk. A table with voting info and a sign are underneath, with others walking on the path nearby and buildings in the background.

    PEN America Speaks: How We Defended And Celebrated Free Expression the Week Of June 1 

    Friday June 5

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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 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 Editors and Managers Support Journalists Facing Online Abuse?

    Monday April 27

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  • A hallway with rows of international flags leads to a screen displaying a headline about Ukrainian women journalists. Nearby, six people sit on a panel in discussion, with floor-to-ceiling windows in the background.

    The Courage of Women Writers Preserving Ukraine’s Stories

    Monday April 27
    Erika Nguyen, Anna Brakha

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  • 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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Prison and Justice Writing

  • A zine cover with a black payphone illustration, tally marks, and graffiti. Text at the bottom reads REMNANTS OF BEING: A 2025 National Poetry Writing Month Zine. Background includes green and yellow collage elements.

    Remnants of Being: A 2025 National Poetry Writing Month Zine

    Tuesday May 12
    Jess Abolafia

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  • A man in a prison uniform speaks on a phone behind glass, with his hand showing tattoos. The background is a collage of green and blue with butterfly and postage mark illustrations.

    Texas Used James Broadnax’s Lyrics to Sentence Him to Death

    Monday April 27
    Elly Brinkley

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  • A man speaks on a phone behind glass. He has tattoos on his hand, a thoughtful expression, and is set against a green, collage-style background with butterflies, stamps, and wavy blue and white shapes.

    Four Poems by James Broadnax

    Friday April 24
    James Broadnax

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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 woman speaks at a podium to an audience in a bright room with World Voices Festival banners and a projection behind a panel of five seated speakers.

    4 Translators On the Value of Their Profession and What Comes Next

    Wednesday May 20

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  • 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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U.S. Free Expression

  • A man wearing glasses and a dark shirt stands in a hallway next to the book cover for Rap on Trial: Race, Lyrics, and Guilt in America by Erik Nielson and Andrea L. Dennis, featuring an illustration of a rapper.

    Rap Isn’t a Crime: Advocates Aim to Get Restrictions on Using Rap Lyrics as Evidence Passed in More States

    Thursday June 18
    Eileen AJ Connelly, Jonathan Friedman

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  • Rewriting the Accreditation Playbook

    Thursday June 11
    Jeffrey Adam Sachs, Amy Reid

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  • A stack of four books sits on a wooden table in a library, with tall bookshelves filled with books blurred in the background.

    Congress Seizes on ‘Parents Rights’ Agenda to Nationalize Censorship in Public Schools

    Tuesday June 9
    Gloria Walker

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World Voices Festival


  • La Fuerza De La Escritora: A Conversation About Female Literary Legacy 

    Monday June 15

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  • Three men sit on a stage having a discussion at the PEN America World Voices Festival, with two banners on either side and an audience seated in front of them. Books are displayed on the table between them.

    Writers On Masculinity, Queerness, and Identity 

    Tuesday June 2

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  • A panel of four people speaks on stage in front of an audience at a PEN America World Voices Festival event, with bookshelves filled with books in the background.

    Three Writers on Making the Digital World More Human

    Friday May 29

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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 woman in a headscarf stands in front of a mountainous landscape, gazing into the distance. Farsi text overlays the left side of the image, and a photo credit is written vertically along the right edge. The image has a blue tint.

    We Write, Even if Our Freedom Is Bound: Letter From a Writer Imprisoned in Iran

    Wednesday June 3

    Read More
  • A hallway with rows of international flags leads to a screen displaying a headline about Ukrainian women journalists. Nearby, six people sit on a panel in discussion, with floor-to-ceiling windows in the background.

    The Courage of Women Writers Preserving Ukraine’s Stories

    Monday April 27
    Erika Nguyen, Anna Brakha

    Read More
  • A man reads at a podium in a bookstore, while a projected screen displays a photo and biography of poet Gülnisa Imin, along with her poem “The women’s prison” and a translation credit. Shelves of books and a window are visible.

    “Freedom to write, freedom of soul”: Aziz Isa Elkun, Uyghur PEN Centre President, on Poetry as Resistance

    Friday April 24
    Erika Nguyen

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Writing as Craft

  • A woman with straight black hair and bangs smiles at the camera, wearing a sleeveless black top and necklace. The background is gray with overlapping abstract red and gray shapes.

    In Conversation With Literary Agent Renée Zuckerbrot: An Insider’s Perspective on the Industry 

    Tuesday June 9
    Abhigna Mooraka

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  • A woman with long black hair and a cream top stands in front of a red circle. Next to her is the book cover for New Skin by Sarah Wang, featuring abstract faces and bold blue and pink colors.

    In Sarah Wang’s Debut, Plastic Surgery Is More Than Skin Deep

    Thursday May 28
    Malcolm Tariq

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  • A man with short dark hair and a beard is smiling softly. Next to him is the book cover for Abundance by Hafeez Lakhani, featuring jelly-filled donuts stacked on a pink surface.

    In Hafeez Lakhani’s Debut Novel, Deciding to Rewrite Destiny Is No Easy Call

    Thursday May 21
    Sabrina Adams

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