The latest news and comment on PEN International and PEN America
April 2024
PEN America cancels festival after authors drop out in support of Gaza
Cancellation of World Voices festival comes days after organization cancelled 2024 edition of its annual awards ceremony
PEN America cancels 2024 awards after authors drop out over Gaza
Dozens of nominated writers had withdrawn from consideration by literary and free-expression organization
Writers withdraw from PEN America literary awards in support of Gaza
Authors and translators say PEN America has ‘had no criticism of American complicity in the bombardment of Gaza’, in stark contrast to other national centres of the organisation
February 2024
Open letter criticising PEN America’s stance on Israel-Gaza war reaches 500 signatories
Writers including Roxane Gay have called on the organisation to ‘wake up from its silent, tepid, self-congratulatory middle of the road and take a stand’
October 2023
Imprisoned Uyghur academic named 2023 PEN writer of courage
Get on the bus: banned books tour hits the road, from New York to Texas
September 2023
‘Eating away at democracy’: book bans in US public schools rise by a third in a year
‘We’re facing another old enemy’: Rushdie warns against global authoritarianism
May 2023
Nobel winners demand release of Belarusian peace laureate Ales Bialiatski
Salman Rushdie makes first public appearance since attack, praising ‘heroes’ who saved him
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Salman Rushdie uses first public appearance since stabbing to praise 'heroes' who saved him – video
Author resigns from PEN America board amid row over Russian writers panel
April 2023
Book bans in US public schools increase by 28% in six months, Pen report finds
Pioneering publisher Margaret Busby named new president of PEN
January 2023
Salman Rushdie will not promote new novel after attack
Author will not appear at launch events for Victory City, his first book since he lost the use of one eye and one hand after being stabbed, his agent has confirmed
October 2022
‘Immensely brave’: Abduljalil al-Singace named international writer of courage
The Bahraini activist who is serving a life sentence in prison for his role in anti-government protests was chosen to share the PEN Pinter prize by Malorie Blackman
August 2022
Salman Rushdie’s grave fears for Indian democracy published in PEN anthology
Rushdie’s words, written before last week’s attack in New York, are aired in a new anthology alongside other leading authors
June 2022
Malorie Blackman’s ‘dynamic imaginary worlds’ win her the PEN Pinter prize
Praise be: unburnable copy of The Handmaid’s Tale fetches $130,000
April 2022
‘Unparalleled in intensity’ – 1,500 book bans in US school districts.
Past nine months have seen censorship effort ‘unparalleled in its intensity’, with books on race and LGBTQ issues singled out
