PEN America

PEN America works tirelessly to defend free expression, support persecuted writers, and promote literary culture. Here are some of the latest ways PEN America is speaking out.

Navigating pain and grief looks different for everybody, and for many, comedy can be a source of light in the darkness. At the 2026

As the leaders of PEN America, we know that much of our work about free expression will provoke strong feelings, often from every direction. That’s the price of doing this work honestly, and it’s one we’ve always been proud to pay.

When we came into these roles in February, we

What habits and relationships should writers form as they cultivate their craft? And how should they go about forming them?

At the third installment of PEN America’s You Are A Writer series, which provides guidance to early- career writers, Christopher Soto,

Russian writer Svetlana Satchkova recognizes that there are undeniable similarities between the political climate in her home country and the United States: escalating attacks on public institutions, growing polarization, and the treatment of political opponents as enemies of the state, to name a few. But from her perspective, there are also essential d...