For #BlackHistoryMonth, PEN America has curated a reading list of books that have been banned in public schools across the country. Titles range from classics like Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings to picture books about self-love and the history of rap. bookshop.org/lists/black-...

In our new PEN Ten interview, author Donna Everhart discusses her latest novel, Women of A Promiscuous Nature (@kensingtonbooks.bsky.social , 2026) and explains how she balances fact and fiction in her writing. Read more: pen.org/donna-everha...

This week, #writer, human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi went on hunger strike whilst being held in detention by Iranian authorities. Her son says he is “deeply worried” about his mother and everyone else detained by the regime: www.cnn.com/2026/02/04/m...

“It has been one year since anyone saw Hada, a Mongolian writer, bookseller, and activist who was disappeared from his hospital bed on February 6, 2025,” writes Erika Nguyen. He is one of many writers who have suffered under the constant repression by the Chinese state. More: pen.org/mongolian-wr...

For over a month, protesters in Minneapolis have resisted ICE’s abuse of power as disinformation, government power, and press freedom have collided. Here are 6 key takeaways underscoring what’s at stake for both professional and citizen journalism during a crisis: pen.org/six-lessons-...

Literature in translation invites readers into a global literary conversation. And in the months ahead, many new conversations will be sparked by some highly anticipated releases. Here are just some of the translated works we're most looking forward to reading in 2026: bookshop.org/lists/books-...

What was once a community space, libraries have become a battleground over censorship, with librarians on the frontlines. Watch @independentlens.bsky.social @thelibrariansfilm.bsky.social on the PBS YouTube Channel and PBS app starting February 9. pbs.org/independentlens

In our new PEN Ten interview, @bradmeltzer.com discusses how comics helped him develop as a writer, the power of history, and his new novel The Viper (@wmmorrowbooks.bsky.social, 2026) which is the latest installment in the Zig & Nola thriller series. Read more: pen.org/brad-meltzer...

As Narges Mohammadi, PEN America's 2023 #FreedomToWrite Awardee, starts a hunger strike to protest prison conditions for detainees, PEN America as part of the #FreeNarges Coalition steering committee stands in solidarity with Narges and demands her release. www.cnn.com/2026/02/04/m...

PEN America’s Liesl Gerntholtz spoke to @france24.com about how the Chinese government is targeting online spaces where Mongolians in China use their language and share their culture—and why tech companies must take note to defend a free and open internet.

“In an irony MAGA will not understand, through the work of ordinary Minnesotans, we are making America great again,” writes David Mura in @literaryhub.bsky.social lithub.com/letter-from-...

College professors who once taught free from political interference are being watched by state officials, administrators & students themselves. “Publishing syllabi when it is coupled with this McCarthyist environment is really dangerous,” says @jonfreadom.bsky.social. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/u...

A bill moving in Florida would mandate “Judea and Samaria” replace “West Bank”, the internationally-recognized term, in new instructional and library materials in public schools and in any materials prepared by state institutions, including universities and colleges. pen.org/press-releas...

In response to the FBI’s raid of a WP reporter’s home, the U.S. Journalist Assistance Network (JAN) is hosting a free roundtable on data and device protection for reporters in the U.S. on 2/10/2026 at 12:00 pm ET. Register here: cpj-org.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

For NPR's Here & Now, Indira Lakshmanan speaks with New York Times Opinion columnist M. Gessen about co-founding a tech project called Kronika, a PEN America and Bard College initiative, that aims to help journalists around the world safeguard history: www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2...

Oscar-nominated writer Mehdi Mahmoudian arrested in Iran for condemning the government’s brutal crackdown on protesters in a letter signed by 17 people, including #FreedomToWrite Awardees Narges Mohammadi (the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize honoree) and Nasrin Sotoudeh: www.independent.co.uk/news/world/m...

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PEN America recently interviewed authors about the emotional toll of book bans, and they told us they’re feeling heartbroken and tired. “It’s not an experience I would recommend or wish upon anyone else,” said @andyrogyny.bsky.social. Read more: pen.org/emotional-to...

“Listen to students,” says student organizer Savannah Dowell of the Bluegrass Students Collective in Kentucky. Learn more about how students are organizing for free expression and their communities in this month’s Conversations on the Quad. pen.org/savannah-dow...

“We’re having a constitutional crisis,” journalist @bygeorgiafort.bsky.social tells @democracynow.org. “What we’re seeing here in Minnesota is the people are continuing to stand. They are continuing to demand that our Constitution be upheld. I believe that journalism is not a crime.”

Censorship proponents have nationalized their earlier library obsessions PEN America free expression activist @jonfreadom.bsky.social on the unprecedented scope of censorship, and how to argue against it plus.flux.community/p/censorship...

In honor of Black History Month, our staff have selected an array of books exploring Black History. See the full list of 30+ titles spanning generations and genres at: bookshop.org/lists/2026-b... #blackhistory #blackhistorymonth #blackhistorymonth2026

"State Violence Threatens – but Cannot Silence – Free Expression" Read more from our interim co-CEOs Summer Lopez and Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf at: pen.org/state-violen...

"Banning books has never made anyone smarter," says PEN America Florida Director William Johnson. Before the state's list of banned books expands even further, tell Florida legislators to reject HB 1119. Learn more — and take action — at: https://pen.org/florida-doubling-down-on-book-bans/

PEN America condemns the altering of syllabi and the shuttering of the Women’s & Gender Studies Program at Texas A&M University as an escalation in educational censorship in Texas. Read more here: pen.org/press-releas...

A new op-ed by our co-CEO @selopez.bsky.social in @justsecurity.org zeroes in on the missing voices in Iran's protests—the writers who have long been heroic fighters for democracy. Read more: www.justsecurity.org/130031/iran-...

PEN America was among several press freedom and journalism organizations that signed a letter from the National Association of Black Journalists in support of journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort, who were arrested by federal agents for doing their jobs. nabjonline.org/blog/nabjout...

PEN America: Arrest of Don Lemon is yet another blatant violation of the First Amendment. His arrest while covering a Minneapolis protest is another example of the Trump White House’s “misuse of government power to deflect accountability and intimidate a free press.” More at: pen.org/press-releas...

Iranians protested their regime for weeks amid the isolation of an internet shutdown and brutal state assault. @selopez.bsky.social reflects on the impact of writers like imprisoned Nobel Peace Laureate Narges Mohammadi, whose voices reverberate nevertheless: www.justsecurity.org/130031/iran-...

There are only two days left to apply. The 2026 Emerging Voices Fellowship application closes January 31, 2026. Join a vibrant community of writers, mentors, and readers committed to bold storytelling and creative growth. https://pen.org/emerging-voices-fellowship/

PEN America condemns the cancellation of a speaker at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, part of a dangerous pattern of educational censorship in Texas. Read more here: pen.org/press-releas...

Announcing 50 finalists for our 2026 Literary Awards and two career achievement honorees—Edwidge Danticat will receive the PEN/Nabokov Award for Achievement in International Literature, and Julia Cho will receive the PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater Award. pen.org/press-releas...

We are excited to announce the finalists for the 2026 PEN America Literary Awards! Our finalists range from promising debut authors to literary legends. Learn more about this year's honorees: https://pen.org/2026-pen-america-literary-awards-finalists/

New on our blog: Here are a few ways to support the book community of Minnesota, whether through donations, buying books, or reading about their experiences. pen.org/book-communi...

PEN America welcomes a court order reinstating a Hinds County, MS elementary school assistant principal four years after he was fired for reading students the funny children’s picture book I Need a New Butt! pen.org/press-releas...

Higher education should be a place where everyone is welcome, supported, and safe. But that vision is under threat and we must defend it — together. The Alliance is a new coalition protecting and promoting higher ed as a pillar of democracy. Joining the movement: allianceforhighered.org

As part of its legal work challenging book bans, PEN America surveyed authors about the financial toll of literary censorship. Many told us that they’ve lost out on crucial sales and speaking engagements because of them. Read more: https://pen.org/steep-price-for-book-bans/

Iranian writer, poet, and translator Ali Asadollahi has been violently arrested from his home by security forces. His detention on undisclosed charges signals a worsening campaign of intimidation and violence against writers amid the state’s brutal crackdown on protestors: pen.org/press-releas...

#Cuba: We condemn the prison sentences against writer José Gabriel Barrenechea Chávez and artist Fernando Almenares Rivera (Nando OBDC), alongside partners. Read our joint statement with @atriskartists.bsky.social and Civil Rights Defenders ⬇️ www.pen-international.org/news/cuba-th...

Write. Read. Relax. Repeat. That's what we're taking away from the writers' resolutions shared with us by authors Cleyvis Natera, Alejandro Heredia and Jinwoo Chong — three of the Literary Hosts who joined us for PEN America’s New Year New Books at Poets House on January 14th.

Amid horrific state violence against protesters in Iran, writer Ali Asadollahi's recent arrest shows that the Iranian authorities are turning to their familiar playbook of silencing dissenting voices and crushing cultural and intellectual resistance. Read our full statement: pen.org/press-releas...

We're joining advocates in Colorado in celebrating a win for the freedom to read www.cpr.org/2026/01/22/e...

PEN America's @penamerica.bsky.social Viktorya Vilk explains how same the authoritarian playbook used to attack the media goes after higher education, the cultural/artistic sector, and free & fair elections. It's a broad assault on democracy & independent thought. 🎧 Episode link in the comments.

Iran must release all writers, journalists, and other detainees jailed for their expression and end all restrictions on access to the internet. Our statement as part of the #FreeNarges Coalition Steering Committee on human rights violations amid protests in Iran: bsky.app/profile/fron...

Egyptian authorities must drop all charges against writer Ahmed Douma and stop harassing him for his speech. A poet previously jailed for his writing, Douma has been targeted with new charges, threatened with prison, and banned from leaving Egypt since his pardon in 2023. bsky.app/profile/peni...

In the country of Georgia, the government is escalating its attacks on independent culture, press, and freedom of expression with impunity. Read our joint statement with PEN Georgia and @peninternational.bsky.social ahead of the country’s human rights review at the UN: pen.org/press-releas...

"Blatant erasure of history": PEN America condemns the ongoing removal of signs at national parks and historic sites by the Trump administration, the latest in Philadelphia about the connection between the founders and slavery. pen.org/press-releas...

Fighting Book Bans, Coast to Coast: Across America, publishers, libraries, and literary organizations are building a formidable litigation slate to ensure the availability of books in public and school libraries. www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...

Banned books will stay on shelves in Elizabeth schools after district drops appeal www.cpr.org/2026/01/22/e... @penamerica.bsky.social @peninternational.bsky.social @ncacensorship.bsky.social @everylibrary.bsky.social @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social @cprnews.bsky.social

Everyone makes mistakes, and we all deserve to be loved regardless. That's the message of @shannonhale.bsky.social's heartfelt children’s book Pretty Perfect Kitty-Corn. But the story's “paint bum" got the book banned in one Texas school district. Read our full interview at: pen.org/shannon-hale...