PEN America - The Freedom to Write

PEN America - The Freedom to Write
PEN America - The Freedom to Write
The Freedom to Write
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world.
Join Us
The Wages of Immigration, 6:30 PM – 7:45 PM, Goethe-Institut New York, 30 Irving Place
2026 World Voices Festival
The World Voices Festival is PEN America’s annual celebration of international literature. The Festival returns to New York City April 29 to May 2, bringing together more than 140 writers from 40 countries for conversations on literature, politics, and free expression. Featuring
Leila Aboulela, Siri Hustvedt, Laila Lalami, Victoria Chang,
and more.
Learn more
And the winners are…
The 2026 PEN America Literary Awards Ceremony was held on March 31st at the Town Hall in New York City. Nearly $350,000 was conferred upon writers and translators working in fiction, nonfiction, essay, poetry, and more.
Meet the winners
Featured Work
Announcing the 2026 PEN America Literary Awards Winners
Banned Books List 2026
ICE’s Threat of Violence Is Also A Threat to Free Expression
Expanding the Web of Control
PEN America’s New President, Novelist Dinaw Mengestu, on Books, Literary Culture, Free Expression, and Censorship in This Moment
The Normalization of Book Banning
The Latest
Press Releases
Honoring Harry Keyishian: Academic Freedom Pioneer Behind Landmark First Amendment Case
April 22, 2026
PEN America Announces 2026 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award honorees Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee and Ali Asadollahi of Iran
April 22, 2026
PEN America Urges Texas A&M to End Censorship
April 21, 2026
FBI Director’s Defamation Lawsuit Against the Atlantic is Latest Attempt to Intimidate the Press
April 20, 2026
Tennessee’s “Charlie Kirk Act” Poses a Threat to Campus Free Speech
April 15, 2026
View all press releases >>
Features & Interviews
In This Debut Collection, the American Dream Borders on Nightmarish
April 23, 2026
Documentary About New College of Florida Offers Warning About Conservative Efforts to Take Over Higher Education
April 23, 2026
‘Thank You for Waking Me Up’: Playwright Julia Cho Recommits to Writing After Receiving Career Achievement Award
April 22, 2026
Announcing the 2025 PEN America/L’Engle Rahman Prize for Mentorship Honorees
April 22, 2026
View all >>
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What We Do
PEN America celebrates literature and defends free expression.
Book Bans
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Writers at Risk Advocacy
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Literary Awards
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Campus Free Speech
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Online Abuse & Digital Safety
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Literary Grants
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Disinformation
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Educational Censorship
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Fellowships, Workshops & Trainings
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Prison and Justice Writing
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Featured Events
PEN America celebrates literature with free and low-cost quality public programming, authors’ evenings, advocacy trainings, writers workshops, community gatherings and more.
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New York
Authors’ Evenings
Lauren Groff | Authors’ Evenings
Thursday April 23
7:00 PM ET
Upper West Side, New York City
$350
Get Tickets
New York
Authors’ Evenings
Ali Velshi | PEN America Authors’ Evenings
Monday April 27
6:00 PM ET
PRIVATE
Get Tickets
New York
Authors’ Evenings
Ira Madison III | Authors’ Evenings
Thursday April 30
7:00 PM ET
$175
Get Tickets
New York
Authors’ Evenings
Xochitl Gonzalez | Authors’ Evenings
Tuesday May 5
7:00 PM ET
$175
Get Tickets
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