The Freedom to Write Index

The Freedom to Write Index

A close-up image of a fountain pen poised over a handwritten letter on white paper, capturing the essence of the Freedom to Write Index 2023. The text is partially blurred, written in cursive for an elegant and classic look, while the overall tone of the image is blue-tinted.

PEN America examines threats to free expression in our annual Freedom to Write Index, a year-end count of imprisoned writers worldwide. Explore our Writers at Risk Database for updated tracking of cases of writers, journalists, artists, academics, and public intellectuals around the world facing myriad threats for their writing and expression.