Do you know a Canadian who helped a threatened foreign writer? Over the next few months, consider nominating them for the 2026 Marie-Ange Garrigue Prize. The winner will receive $3,000 CAD and be recognized at the PEN Canada awards ceremony later this year.

On #BookBans — the last few years have seen lots of books removed from schools, libraries and bookstores. The latest episode of The Chapter has Kudakwashe Rutendo and Mirian Njoh weigh in on the topic, discussing influential challenged titles from their own lives: www.cbc.ca/player/play/...

We'll see you next week in #Toronto 📚 Moderated by journalist Jessica Johnson, the event brings together Ray Robertson (The Right to be Wrong) and Ira Wells (On Book Banning) to examine why access to books and ideas matter and what’s at stake when reading is constrained. buff.ly/6AD4rmJ

Who is on the frontlines of free expression? Starting today, you can submit a nomination of anyone whose work has advanced freedom of expression in Canada. This may include authors, concerned citizens, journalists, librarians, professors, public servants, scientists, whistleblowers, and others.

🎟️ This Freedom to Read Week event is free, you can register on Eventbrite: buff.ly/xkzvAAg

Save the date for our next Voices of Freedom reading event, featuring new work by members of the PEN Canada Writers in Exile. 🗓️ Wednesday March 18, 2026 ⏰ 7:00 – 8:00 pm 📍 Alumni Hall, Victoria College (91 Charles St W, Toronto) 🎟️ Free, tickets available through Eventbrite: buff.ly/8CNua6v

#Guatemala: Journalist #JoseRubénZamora has now spent 1,295 days in arbitrary detention.   Today, the Second Court has the opportunity to deliver justice and allow him to face the spurious charges against him in freedom.

We invite you to explore an indispensable resource – PEN International’s handbook, A Guide to Defending Writers at Risk. This manual is designed for PEN members, supporters and activists to plan and implement advocacy, campaigning, and media strategy in the fight for human rights. buff.ly/XhkB8k0

🎟️ This Freedom to Read Week event is free, you can register on Eventbrite: buff.ly/xkzvAAg

A timely conversation about the freedom to read and why intellectual risk is necessary in society. This free event will be moderated by leading journalist and editor, Jessica Johnson, bringing together two award-winning writers, Ray Robertson (The Right to be Wrong) and Ira Wells (On Book Banning).

Jimmy Lai’s case cannot be viewed in isolation — it is emblematic of systematic erosion. Once a global centre for independent media and open debate, Hong Kong has been transformed into a jurisdiction where writers face criminal prosecution for their work: www.pen-international.org/news/china-h...

​​PEN America: The sentencing of pro-democracy activist and media mogul Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison is a catastrophic blow to free speech in Hong Kong. pen.org/press-releas...

Today, newspaper publisher Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison. His sentence marks the longest punishment given so far under a China-imposed national security law that has stifled the press and virtually silenced dissent in Hong Kong. www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...

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...

PEN welcomes the release of Venezuelan journalist Rory Branker, after being subjected to arbitrary detention for almost a year. While his release is a positive step, Rory Branker should never have been detained in retaliation for his journalistic work: www.pen-international.org/news/venezue...

Did you know that there's a database of banned books across Canada? If you've heard of a ban, the @cfetmu.bsky.social encourage all libraries (public, school, academic, and government) in Canada to add it to this online resource by completing a simple form: cfe.torontomu.ca/databases/ca...

Event this week in #Toronto with Canadian writer, Margaret MacMillan:

Mehdi Mahmoudian, an Iranian screenwriter nominated for an Academy Award, was arrested this weekend in #Iran after signing a statement condemning his government for its deadly crackdown on protesters. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/01/w...

PEN International welcomes the release of five journalists in Venezuela and the acquittal of writer Amanda Echanis, as reported by LA NACION, an important step toward justice for those imprisoned for their words. Read more about the cases in the article below ⬇️ www.lanacion.com.ar/cultura/buen...

Opinion: "Banning books in K-12 schools will further hinder students’ ability to tap into their enthusiasm for literature." Rebecca Geleyn on how Alberta's ban of “visual depictions of sexual activities” may disproportionately affect LGBTQ+ authors and readers: calgaryherald.com/opinion/colu...

#HongKong: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's visit to China comes after a Hong Kong court convicted Jimmy Lai, a newspaper publisher and British citizen, under a national security law that Beijing imposed on the territory after massive pro-democracy protests in 2019.

When police raided the Apple Daily newsroom in 2021, journalists across Hong Kong knew this meant more than the collapse of a newspaper. After the guilty verdict of the paper's publisher, Jimmy Lai, journalists in Hong Kong speak on how his conviction has stifled the city's press:

United States: Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested late Thursday night on charges that he violated federal law during a protest at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota, his lawyer said, in a case rejected last week by a magistrate judge:

Here are the secret lists of banned books from Alberta's 2 largest school boards: www.readtheorchard.org/p/here-are-t... - Source: Jeremy Appel, The Orchard

Yesterday, freedom for information requests revealed the lists of dozens books removed by two Alberta school boards. The lists reveal that 42 titles were removed by one board, and 33 titles by the other. Graphic novels are the focus of the full list of prohibited book: thetyee.ca/Opinion/2026...

Our friends at the International Issues Discussion Series invite you to its second talk of 2026, “What is a World Order?" with Dr. Margaret MacMillan. Her talk will be held on Wednesday, February 4 at 6:30 pm in Toronto. Attendance is free and everyone is welcome: iid.kislenko.com/what-is-a-wo...

We invite you to explore an indispensable resource – PEN International’s handbook, A Guide to Defending Writers at Risk. This manual is designed for PEN members, supporters and activists to plan and implement advocacy, campaigning, and media strategy in the fight for human rights. buff.ly/XhkB8k0

Ottawa caved to the White House’s backlash against Canada’s Big Tech regulations in June 2025, when Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne cancelled a proposed digital service tax at Trump’s behest. Now, Canada is weighing Trump’s reaction as it writes new online safety laws:

#Canada: Advocates of more federal transparency are concerned a federal review of the Access to Information regime will not fix long-standing problems, and that it could even make things worse: www.ctvnews.ca/politics/art...

As a journalist, Joan was determined to get at the truth of events shaping history. She set up CBC Radio’s first bureau in South Africa, covering Nelson Mandela’s release from prison and the genocide in Rwanda, and later became CBC bureau chief in Latin America: pencanada.ca/news/pen-lau...

We are proud to announce the Joan Leishman Memorial Fund, a bold new initiative in support of writers living in exile in Canada. Joan was a remarkable journalist, humanitarian, and a cherished mentor to our community. We hope you'll consider making a donation: pencanada.ca/advocacy-aid...

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...

The Narges Foundation reports that security agents have raided and searched the home of Narges Mohammadi’s family in Mashhad, northeast Iran. This raid comes amid escalating pressure on the family of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate: narges.foundation/breaking-sec...

#IRAN: PEN strongly condemns the deadly crackdown on protests across the country, including the mass arbitrary detention and the unlawful use of force against peaceful protestors, and implementation of censorship and internet blackouts across the country: www.pen-international.org/news/iran-au...

We are one of nearly 140 PEN centres, each defending the right to read, speak, write and think freely. Connect with other centres from around the world: go.bsky.app/MhL7yQC

This week, the trial began for photojournalist Amber Bracken, who is suing the RCMP for arresting her at a pipeline protest camp. Narwhal co-founder and editor-in-chief Carol Linnitt says the trial is about holding police accountable for throwing journalists in jail: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Human-rights groups are urging Prime Minister Mark Carney to raise the plight of Canadians imprisoned in China and Hong Kong when he meets President Xi Jinping, as well as the case of media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who has multiple ties to Canada: www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/art...

We are relieved to hear the news of our contributor Amanda Achanis's acquittal. wordswithoutborders.org/read/article...

PEN welcomes the acquittal of poet, writer, and activist Amanda Echanis. A court in Tuguegarao City, Philippines cleared her of a charge of illegal possession of firearms and explosives after she spent more than five years in detention: buff.ly/oAONZak

“Targeting a reporter in their own home as part of a federal law enforcement action is an extraordinary escalation that strikes at the heart of press freedom." Read PEN America's statement on FBI’s search of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson’s home here: pen.org/press-releas...

As reports of mass arrests, killings, and violence continue to escalate, we stand in full solidarity with the people of Iran in their legitimate struggle for fundamental freedoms and democratic rights. We urge the intl. community to take these urgent, concrete actions: pen.org/press-releas...

PEN International is deeply alarmed by further deterioration of press freedom in Venezuela. This week a wave of arbitrary detentions, intimidation, surveillance and censorship included the detention of at least 14 journalists and media workers in Caracas: www.pen-international.org/news/venezue...

This should be major news: literally dozens of book bans in Canada today, because of a ministerial order by Alberta's provincial government. The titles are being withheld by the school districts... I think Canadians have a right to know what books are being banned in our public schools.

Today, Alberta's two biggest school divisions say dozens of books have been taken off shelves as the province's ban took effect this week. 34 titles were removed by the Edmonton Public School Division, and 44 were removed by the Calgary Board of Education: www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/alber...

This fall, Ira Wells met with our PEN counterparts in Kyiv for a week-long series of expeditions sponsored by PEN Ukraine. In Ukraine, he spoke with writers, human rights advocates, former prisoners of war, and ordinary Ukrainians suffering under Russian occupation: thewalrus.ca/ukraines-war...

"Receiving the prize was not just a personal milestone, but a moment that drew my attention away from myself and toward the deeper cause it represents," Diary Marif writes in his piece for Voices in Exile. "It points to the story, the struggle, and the voice of Sherwan Sherwani." buff.ly/2HSBnBM

This holiday season, write a letter of solidarity to Jimmy Lai 💌 Last week, guilty verdicts were handed down in Hong Kong in the trial of the writer and newspaper publisher. With his sentencing expected in January 2026, Lai, who recently turned 78, could spend the rest of his life in prison.

"The people who trust me with their stories — refugees, survivors, dissenters, families navigating grief or injustice — they remind me every day that storytelling is a sacred responsibility," Read Samira Mohyeddin's Ken Filkow Speech: buff.ly/doUNORz

We welcome the long-awaited release of PEN members Ales Bialiatski and Maksim Znak and fellow writers after years behind bars! We continue urging #Belarus to free all those still held on trumped up grounds. #FreeThemAll www.reuters.com/world/europe...

President Trump’s defamation lawsuit against the BBC, which seeks an extraordinary $10 billion, represents a coercive ploy to globalize his domestic threats to a free and independent press and to chill reporting overseas, says PEN America. Full statement: pen.org/press-releas...