Press Releases
PEN America experts are available for interviews with the press. Please direct inquiries to Suzanne Trimel, Senior Advisor, Communications and Media, at [email protected].
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PEN America Mourns the Death of Groundbreaking Irish Author Edna O’Brien
O’Brien won the 2018 PEN/Nabokov Award for Achievement in International Literature, and spoke that year at the PEN America Literary Awards Ceremony. Judges Michael Ondaatje and Diana Abu-Jaber cited… More
PEN America: Injunction Against Part of Florida’s Stop WOKE Act is a Victory for Free Speech
“This ruling is a victory for free speech and proves Florida is not in fact where ‘woke’ goes to die,” said Katie Blankenship, director of PEN America’s Florida office.… More
PEN America condemns the sentencing of Alsu Kurmasheva to 6.5 years in prison
(NEW YORK, NY) — PEN America strongly condemns the sentencing by a Russian court of Alsu Kurmasheva to 6.5 years in prison. A Prague-based book editor and a journalist… More
PEN America Signs Joint Letter to President Biden in Advance of Meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu
PEN America joins with other NGOs to request that, during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington, DC, the week of July 22, President Biden urges the government… More
PEN America: Wall Street Journal Termination of Journalist Selina Cheng “Risks Sending Troubling Signal”
The Wall Street Journal’s decision to terminate journalist Selina Cheng’s position shortly after she was elected to head the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) risks sending a troubling signal,… More
Russian Court Sentences Evan Gershkovich to 16 Years in Prison
In this sham trial, the Russian court punished Gershkovich for the crime of journalism, sending yet another unmistakable signal that free speech in Russia is in its final moments. More
Masha Gessen Sentenced in Absentia to Eight Years in Russian Prison for Ukraine Comments
"Unfortunately, this conviction comes as little surprise given Gessen’s well-established record of bravely speaking out against the suppression of human rights in Russia." More
PEN America Condemns Assault and Detention of Palestinian Author Hanan Awwad
"We condemn and are deeply distressed by the assault and detention of Hanan Awwad by Israeli soldiers. The assault is not just an attack on an individual, but on… More
Judge’s Ruling on Rapper’s Lyrics Represents a “Slap in the Face” to Free Expression
Julie Trébault, managing director of Artists at Risk Connection, a program of PEN America, said: “Judge Morgan’s ruling is alarming and a slap in the face to the right… More
PEN America’s Emerging Voices Workshop Returns To Los Angeles
Meet the 2024 Los Angeles Emerging Voices Workshop Fellows. Each fellow developed a manuscript-in-progress with peers and expert instructors. More