In the words of our President, Burhan Sonmez, when journalists are silenced, truth is pushed into darkness. For a whole month, we're mobilising our global network to bring all detained Ukrainian journalists home. #WPFD2026 #FreeUkrainianJournalists www.pen-international.org/our-campaign...

#Honduras. PEN International condemns the attacks and stigmatisation against human rights organisations and journalists in the country. (1/5) www.elheraldo.hn/honduras/den...

a hundred other shadowy things

#Türkiye: We join the @globalfreemedia.bsky.social and partners in urging the repeal of the so-called disinformation law. At least 83 have been charged, and they must all be released immediately. Read our joint statement ⬇️ www.pen-international.org/news/turkiye...

#Egypt: We condemn Egypt’s Supreme State Security Prosecution for referring poet #AhmedDouma to urgent trial on charges including ‘disseminating false news’ for writing about prisons in Egypt. He must be released and charges dropped. www.pen-international.org/news/egypt-p... @penmena.bsky.social

For almost 25 years, 12 Eritrean writers and journalists have been detained incommunicado without trial. In Writers Under Siege: Defying Silence, we honour them as one of our emblematic cases ⬇️ www.pen-international.org/case-list-2026

Assistim a la conversa entre els escriptors turcs Zülfü Livaneli i Burhan Sönmez en el marc dels Diàlegs de Sant Jordi organitzats per Biblioteques de Barcelona. 

#Italy: Writer @robertosaviano.bsky.social has been cleared of defaming Matteo Salvini. While the court’s verdict reaffirms the vital importance of free expression, we must not forget the years spent fighting these baseless charges. Read the statement ⬇️ www.pen-international.org/news/italy-r...

📣 Join us on Thursday, 23 April at 13:00 BST for Voices Freed: International Solidarity in a Time of Global Disorder, an online discussion marking the launch of the 2026 Case List. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/voices-fre...

#Türkiye: Honorary PEN member Selahattin Demirtaş turns 53 today. He has been wrongfully detained for nearly 10 years. We stand with Demirtaş and urge the authorities release him immediately and unconditionally #FreeDemirtaş

"Ciutats en revolta" als Diàlegs de Sant Jordi de @bibliotequesbcn.bsky.social! @burhansonmez.bsky.social, president del @peninternational.bsky.social, i @zlivaneli.bsky.social dialoguen sobre literatura i compromís polític, amb @lluciaramis.bsky.social.

🟥 Slavnostna otvoritev 58. mednarodnega srečanja pisateljev in pisateljic za mir 🟧 14. aprila 2026, ob 19. uri v Knjižnici Blaža Kumerdeja na Bledu 🟨 Anton Mežan, Burhan Sönmez 🟩 Recital v čast Srečku Kosovelu Prisrčno vabljene in vabljeni! @piwpc.bsky.social @burhansonmez.bsky.social

🟥 𝐁𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐨𝐦: 𝐊𝐧𝐣𝐢ž𝐞𝐯𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐳 𝐳𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚 𝐯 𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐣𝐞𝐤, 𝟏𝟑. 𝟒. 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔, 𝐨𝐛 𝟏𝟗. 𝐮𝐫𝐢 𝐯 𝐊𝐨𝐬𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐢 𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐢 CD 🟧 okrogla miza: 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐒ö𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐳, 𝐋𝐮𝐢𝐳𝐚 𝐁𝐨𝐮𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐨𝐮𝐚, 𝐆𝐞𝐫𝐦á𝐧 𝐑𝐨𝐣𝐚𝐬 🟨 tema: 𝐯𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐝𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐣𝐞𝐯 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐣𝐢𝐜 𝐯 č𝐚𝐬𝐮 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐧𝐢𝐡 𝐤𝐫𝐢𝐳 🟩 vodi: 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐦𝐚 𝐒𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢ć @piwpc.bsky.social

Yazarımız Behçet Çelik, 11 Nisan Cumartesi günü saat 14.00'te, TESAK Kadıköy'de okurlarıyla buluşup, kitaplarını imzalayacak. @behcetcelik.bsky.social

PEN International condemns the killing of journalists Ali Shaib, Fatima Ftouni and Mohammed Ftouni in an Israeli strike on a clearly marked media vehicle in southern Lebanon. Journalists are civilians and must never be targeted. cpj.org/2026/03/isra...

One of our incredible supporters, Simon Sweeney, has been fundraising for Freedom from Torture for over 20 years. If he can do it, so can you. 🩵 Want to take on a challenge and make a real difference this year? https://ow.ly/3eVw50YyMbb

Day 36 / Poem 36: Davvisámegiella (Northern Sámi) Lill Tove Fredriksen Silbagatnjalat (Silver Tears) Northern Sámi is one of the remaining nine Sámi languages still spoken today. It is the largest Sámi language, and Indigenous Sámi people are speaking it in Finland, Norway and Sweden.

#FavesTendres | Han Kang, Sandro Veronesi, Ömer Zülfü Livaneli, Burhan Sönmez i Donatella di Cesare són algunes veus destacades de l’edició d’enguany.

We join @globalfreemedia.bsky.social and partners in urging EU leaders to facilitate the professional mobility of journalists from #Türkiye. Read our open letter: www.pen-international.org/news/eu-visa...

The 𝑃𝐸𝑁 𝐼𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝐹𝑒𝑙𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑖 𝐴𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑: 𝑊𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑠 𝑅𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 is launched, a special mention created in collaboration between the Premio Inge Feltrinelli and PEN International to recognize the work of authors and activists who, through writing, defend rights, freedom, and dignity. (1/3)

#WhereAreThey? In 2001, Eritrea shut down the independent press and arrested 12 writers and journalists. Nearly 25 years later, many remain imprisoned without trial. www.pen-international.org/our-campaign...

The six book shortlist for this year’s Women’s Prize For Non-Fiction include memoir, contemporary politics, biography, writing on health and science, and more. buff.ly/5Jzp1ju

Turkey has jailed investigative reporter İsmail Arı under its disinformation law, deepening fears that public-interest reporting is being criminalised. His arrest follows Alican Uludağ’s case and adds to pressure on critical media. ✍️ Serap Güneş www.theamargi.com/posts/turkey...

Supporting young writers means supporting the future of free expression. Read more from PEN International’s youngest Board Member, Ege Dündar, on how a “network of networks” can empower the next generation ⬇️ publishingperspectives.com/2026/03/a-ne...

Burhan Sonmez: “Noi scrittori, sentinelle contro un potere sempre più arrogante”

#Canada: We join @pencanada.bsky.social in condemning the recent intimidation of journalist Rachel Gilmore. PEN stands with the writers and journalists who uphold and defend our collective right to freedom of expression and the unhampered transmission of thought. pencanada.ca/news/pen-can...

#Turkey 🇹🇷 @peninternational.bsky.social calls for the release of investigative journalist Alican Uludağ who was arrested in February on what rights advocates described as bogus 'insult' and 'disinformation' grounds. 🔗 buff.ly/Ql68Hjk

#Belarus: PEN members have actively campaigned for the release of Kaciaryna Andrejeva and Valeryja Kaściuhova. While we rejoice at their freedom, we condemn the authorities’ relentless campaign of repression. #FreeThemAll Read the full statement ⬇️ www.pen-international.org/news/belarus...

#Türkiye: BirGün reporter İsmail Arı was arrested for allegedly 'publicly disseminating misleading information' on account of his journalistic work. We urge the authorities to release him and repeal the disinformation law #JournalismIsNotACrime www.dw.com/tr/bayramda-...

British actor Stephen Fry recited the iconic poem “You Know That You Are Human” by Vasyl Symonenko in English for World Poetry Day Bravo and thanks, Mr Fry! 🎥 Video: UNITED24

Newroz pîroz be! Happy Newroz! Happy Kurdish New Year to those who celebrate it ☀️

The PEN America World Voices Festival will bring together more than 140 writers from 40+ countries to New York and Los Angeles April 29-May 2 amid mounting barriers to international exchange and escalating attacks on free expression. More: pen.org/press-releas...

📣 We welcome the release of journalist, writer, and poet Kaciaryna Andrejeva and many others after years behind bars in #Belarus. There must be full accountability for the violations they suffered. #FreeThemAll www.rferl.org/a/washington...

#Türkiye: The targeting of Alican Uludağ is yet another attempt to muzzle independent reporting and instil fear. We call for his release and urge the authorities to end their campaign of repression against dissent. Read our statement ⬇️ www.pen-international.org/news/trkiye-...

Happy Newroz, Nowruz, Nawroz, Novruz! Along a wide geography spanning from the edges of Europe’s eastern borders to western frontiers of China, Kurds, Persians, Tajiks, Afghans, Azeris and many others celebrate New Year’s Day on March 21.

We welcome the news of the release of Eritrean cartoonist Biniam “Cobra” Solomon after 15 years in detention without charge. Many writers and journalists in Eritrea remain behind bars. Learn more ⬇️ www.pen-international.org/our-campaign... www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

#Philippines: The last remaining charge against writer and Nobel laureate #MariaRessa may soon be dismissed. PEN International welcomes the recommendation that the Supreme Court acquit her in the cyber libel case. www.pen-international.org/news/philipp...

Today is the anniversary of the chemical attack in Halabja, Iraqi Kurdistan, in which 5,000 Kurds were killed. Saddam Hussein's 1988 attack was described by courts as a genocidal massacre. Even today, Kurds are at the mercy of brutal governments in the Middle East and are told to submit.

"Noi curdi abbandonati troppe volte non fateci sceglieretra due malvagità" Burhan Sonmez, La Stampa

#Belarus: We vehemently condemn the authorities’ decision to criminalise the activities of @penbelarus.bsky.social and scores of publishers amid an ever-growing crackdown on the cultural sector. #StandWithBelarus Read our statement ⬇️ www.pen-international.org/news/belarus...

We joined a coalition demanding ICE release journalist Estefany Rodriguez, saying it's "part of a broader erosion of democratic norms and human rights... in which immigration authorities are increasingly being used to chill free expression and 1st Amendment rights." www.freepress.net/download/pre...

West Berlin, 1968. A student lies dead. Kommissar Müller thinks he knows the killer: Ferdy Kaplan. But the interrogation reveals a stranger truth. Kaplan never meant to kill the student. His target was Max Brod, the man who defied Kafka’s dying wish... Join the @bookblast.org discussion!

#Iran: PEN International condemns all breaches of international law amid escalating hostilities across the Middle East and is gravely concerned by mounting civilian casualties in Iran and across the region. Read our full statement ⬇️ www.pen-international.org/news/iran-pe...

Established at our 48th Congress in 1986, World Writers’ Day honours the courage to write and the solidarity that protects it. As writers face imprisonment, exile, censorship, and violence for speaking the truth, we stand with them and defend freedom of expression.

We’re hiring a Fundraising Officer 🌍✍️ This is a part-time (3 days/week), remote role within our Development team, ideal for someone with UK charity fundraising experience who wants to make a real international impact. More details: www.pen-international.org/join-our-team

‘Cereyanlar’ kitabı, yıllar süren bu derslerin ve yakından tanık olduğum yoğun emeğin bir ürünü olarak doğdu. Tanıl Bora çok zor bir işe girişti ve tamamladı. 🔻 www.diken.com.tr/tanil-bora-v...

Join @penamerica.bsky.social for an authors delegation in Minneapolis on Fri. & Sat. Feb. 27-28 that will center the essential role of writers in times of upheaval. Speakers will include Padma Lakshmi, Kao Kalia Yang, Victoria Blanco, Dinaw Mengestu, and Burhan Sönmez. pen.org/press-releas...

Burhan Sönmez, now the president of @peninternational.bsky.social, was a rising human rights lawyer in Turkey. A brutal assault nearly killed him – and propelled him to a life in literature. New essay for @psyche.co: psyche.co/portraits/bu... @burhansonmez.bsky.social