Sir Ian Rankin supports PEN’s Literary Auction: “I’ve considered it important to support PEN’s solidarity and humanitarian programmes for many years.” Explore his signed edition and more.
www.jumblebee.co.uk/pen-internat... @ianrankin1.bsky.social

A rare glimpse into a writer’s mind! 💭 These extremely rare manuscript notes and personal messages from Yann Martel were created during the early development of Son of Nobody. Bid now, only 24 hours left: www.jumblebee.co.uk/auction/deta...

On Law of the Land, PEN International President Burhan Sonmez spoke with Gloria Browne-Marshall about the urgent work defending persecuted writers and how to support through our auction, ending tomorrow. 🎙️ Full interview: wbai.org/archive/prog... 📣 Make a bid: www.jumblebee.co.uk/pen-internat...

#Georgia: We welcome @echr.coe.int's landmark judgment in the case of Tsaava and Others v. #Georgia on the policing of protests and the protection of journalists, citing our joint intervention with PEN Georgia & English PEN. Read our joint statement ⬇️ www.pen-international.org/news/georgia...

In support of our work protecting persecuted writers, Isabel Allende has donated a rare, signed, leather-bound edition of The House of the Spirits to PEN International’s auction. Bid today: www.jumblebee.co.uk/pen-internat...

📣 NEW ITEM IN OUR LITERARY AUCTION: A one-of-a-kind menu card from 2025, featuring Olga Tokarczuk’s handwritten notes and a small, spontaneous drawing. From the year the Nobel Prize–winning writer received her Honoris Causa from the Sorbonne. Bid before the 19th: www.jumblebee.co.uk/pen-internat...

Thousands of languages are at risk, and defending linguistic rights has never been more urgent. The Translation & Linguistic Rights Committee @pen-tlrc.bsky.social works to support languages and communities that might otherwise be silenced. Discover more ⬇️ www.pen-international.org/tlrc

#Italy: As @robertosaviano.bsky.social stands trial again on spurious criminal defamation grounds, we reiterate our full solidarity and call for all charges to be dropped. Read more ⬇️ www.pen-international.org/news/italy-c...

#Belarus: As we welcome the release of PEN members Ales Bialiatski, Maksim Znak and Aliaksandr Fiaduta with immense relief, we urge justice for the violations they suffered, including their forced exile. Read our statement ⬇️ www.pen-international.org/news/belarus...

#HongKong: Yesterday, we have joined @englishpen.bsky.social, @hongkongwatch.bsky.social & over 30 other civil society organisations in an open letter to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, urging him press for Jimmy Lai's release. Read the letter below ⬇️ www.pen-international.org/news/china-h...

#Georgia #Belarus: PEN cases Andrzej Poczobut and Mzia Amaglobeli are being awarded the prestigious 2025 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought today. We reiterate calls for their immediate release. www.europarl.europa.eu/topics/en/ar...

#Iran: PEN International condemns the violent and arbitrary arrest of Nobel Peace laureate Narges Mohammadi on 12 December. We are gravely concerned for her health and safety and call for her immediate and unconditional release. Read our statement ⬇️ www.pen-international.org/news/iran-au...

#HongKong: Together with @englishpen.bsky.social, we condemn the conviction of writer and media publisher #JimmyLai. We continue to stand with him and urge the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities to release him immediately and unconditionally. www.pen-international.org/news/china-h...

Filmed at PEN International’s 91st Congress, journalist Samira Mohyeddin speaks with writers and delegates about today’s key threats to freedom of expression, from book bans to LGBTQ+ rights and climate justice. Watch the conversations:

PEN International has launched its first Literary Auction — featuring exclusive items from Elif Shafak, Yann Martel, Ian Rankin, Ali Smith, Isabel Allende & more. Support freedom of expression and explore the auction today. www.jumblebee.co.uk/pen-internat...

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...

#Iran: We are gravely concerned by the arrest of Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi in Mashhad, following her public remarks at the memorial of lawyer Khosro Alikordi. Her health and freedom must be protected. We call for her immediate release. #FreeNargesMohammadi #HumanRights

Now available in Polish and English: Critical Junctures. PEN International’s report examines the state of freedom to create in Poland from 2015–2025, documenting pressures on writers and journalists and outlining recommendations for reform. Read the report:

Proud to have Sir Ian Rankin supporting PEN International through our Literary Auction. The auction ends on 19 December. You can place your bids on a Christmas gift that celebrates literature while supporting freedom of expression ⬇️ www.jumblebee.co.uk/pen-internat...

Bid on rare items with the opportunity to become a character in Ali Smith’s next novel, all supporting PEN International’s work defending free expression. Explore the auction here: 
www.jumblebee.co.uk/pen-internat...

#HongKong: With Jimmy Lai's national security trial verdict now expected on Monday, we again urge the authorities to end this injustice by dropping all charges against him and to release him immediately. Read our latest statement 🔽 www.pen-international.org/news/china-h...

#Vietnam: Ahead of the 4th anniversary of writer Pham Doan Trang's unjust sentencing, we join @rsf.org @amnesty.org @penamerica.bsky.social @pressfreedom.bsky.social & others in calling on the international community to secure her release #FreePhamDoanTrang www.pen-international.org/news/vietnam...

PEN International’s Lenguas Vivas project elevates Indigenous voices across Latin America and sparks dialogue on inequality. It strengthens collaboration with Indigenous writers and shows how literature can address social challenges.

Poland is at a defining moment for cultural freedom. Critical Junctures uncovers the challenges faced by writers, journalists, and artists over the past decade, from censorship and SLAPPs to politicised media and shrinking space for dissent. Read the full report, available in English and Polish.

#RussianFederation: Writer Larisa Tuptsokova faces years in prison in absentia for her work promoting Circassian language and culture. We urge the authorities to drop all charges and to end mounting acts of transnational repression. www.pen-international.org/news/russian...

“I’ve been a member of PEN International’s Writer Circle for many years… I’m delighted to help raise funds through this special auction.” Yann Martel - We just launched our first Literary Auction, uniting incredible writers. Make your bid today! with @ianrankin1.bsky.social & @isabelallende.com

As #DayoftheImprisonedWriter comes to a close, thank you to all who stood in solidarity with imprisoned writers worldwide. Our collective voices challenge censorship and repression, today on #HumanRightsDay, and every day. #MohamedTadjadit #YalqunRozi #RoryBranker #MziaAmaglobeli

At a time of widespread war and growing authoritarianism, our Writers for Peace Committee insists that peace requires action and solidarity. Read the full statement: www.pen-international.org/news/human-r...

On #HumanRightsDay, PEN International launches its first global #LiteraryAuction — featuring rare contributions from leading writers, with all proceeds supporting freedom of expression worldwide. Explore the auction: www.pen-international.org/news/literar...

This Human Rights Day, we share a new statement from the Writers for Peace Committee. Together, they reaffirm that words still matter and that peace depends on how we speak and listen. Read the full statement: www.pen-international.org/news/human-r...

Thank you to everyone who joined our global call for justice and freedom for imprisoned writers for the #DayoftheImprisonedWriter campaign. Your words and actions remind us that freedom of expression belongs to us all. #HumanRightsDay #MohamedTadjadit #YalqunRozi #RoryBranker #MziaAmaglobeli

#DayoftheImprisonedWriter: Tomorrow, on #HumanRightsDay, our campaign comes to a close but our actions and words will continue. Over the past weeks, we’ve stood together for four imprisoned writers, raising our voices for freedom and justice. Until every voice is free, none of us are truly free.

As the Day of the Imprisoned Writer draws to a close, we share a message of solidarity from award-winning author Maaza Mengiste to imprisoned writer Rory Branker, affirming that he is not alone and that many stand with him in the struggle for freedom. www.pen-international.org/our-campaign...

Huge congratulations to Elif Shafak, newly elected President of the Royal Society of Literature. A powerful advocate for free expression and the unifying force of storytelling. We celebrate this well-deserved recognition!. www.theguardian.com/books/2025/d...

Georgia is jailing journalists for doing their job. Join the discussion on #MziaAmaglobeli’s imprisonment, the wave of arrests since 2024 & how to defend media freedom. Organised by @mediafreedomeu.bsky.social in partnership with us. www.mfrr.eu/jailed-for-d... #FreeMzia #DayoftheImprisonedWriter

SIGN OUR PETITION: #YalqunRozi has spent 9 years behind bars in Xinjiang for celebrating the Uyghur language and heritage. On this #DayoftheImprisonedWriter, we call for his release and an end to the crackdown on Uyghur voices. Be a voice for his freedom.

As we reach the final days of the #DayoftheImprisonedWriter, we share a message from novelist Lauren Groff to imprisoned Algerian poet #MohamedTadjadit. We invite you to join Lauren in writing your own letter. 💌 Read Lauren’s full letter: static1.squarespace.com/static/628f9...

#DayoftheImprisonedWriter, we honour #RoryBranker #YalqunRozi #MohamedTadjadit #MziaAmaglobeli. Messages of hope may seem small, but for writers unjustly imprisoned, they are a lifeline. Stand with them 📢 www.pen-international.org/our-campaign...

#India: We welcome the imminent release of academic Hany Babu following the approval of his bail application. Detained without trial for over 5 years, this ruling recognises the grave injustice he has faced. Learn more ⬇️ www.pen-international.org/news/india-a...

PEN International proudly launched Lenguas Vivas at FIL Guadalajara 2025—a new anthology curated and edited by Miguel Ángel Oxlaj Cúmez, featuring 26 Indigenous authors from five countries. Supported by the Hawthornden Foundation. Read the anthology: www.pen-international.org/news/pen-int...

Join Khalid Abdalla in taking action for writers whose voices are being silenced. #RoryBranker, #YalqunRozi, #MohamedTadjadit, and #MziaAmaglobeli are facing imprisonment and persecution for speaking truth. Defend the freedom to write today: www.pen-international.org/our-campaign...

Burhan Sonmez will be in Rome with acclaimed writers and members of the aspiring PEN Rome Centre to discuss freedom of speech and press. Joining Janeczek, Lipperini, @robertosaviano.bsky.social and Veronesi at an event by Più libri più liberi. Find out more (IT): plpl.it/news/event/l...

#DayoftheImprisonedWriter: Stand with #MziaAmaglobeli ✍️ She’s jailed for doing her job. Send a message of solidarity, write to the authorities and share her story online to show her she is not alone and to support her fight for justice! 📣 Take action: www.pen-international.org/mzia-amaglob...

PEN International President Burhan Sonmez speaks with Corriere della Sera about publishing his first Kurdish novel and its meaning for identity, memory, and literary freedom — also featured on Rai Radio 3’s Pagina 3 (in Italian).

#Türkiye: We welcome the release of journalist and author Furkan Karabay after 201 behind bars on spurious grounds. We call for his conviction to be overturned and for his judicial harassment to end once and for all. bianet.org/haber/gazete...

Give Back Friday doesn’t end on Friday. Today, we continue giving back by standing with writers whose voices are under threat. This Giving Tuesday, your support helps us provide urgent assistance and protection for those risking everything to speak truth to power. www.justgiving.com/charity/pen-...

With just 8 days left of our Day of the Imprisoned Writer campaign, we call on our community to stand with #MohamedTadjadit #YalqunRozi #MziaAmaglobeli #RoryBranker. This campaign reminds us that freedom of expression survives through solidarity and collective action.

We mourn the passing of Hege Newth (1966–2025), a tireless champion for persecuted writers and former Secretary General of Norsk PEN. Her dedication, wisdom, and courage leave a lasting legacy. Our deepest condolences to her family, friends, and colleagues. norskpen.no/nyheter/hege...

Journalist Furkan Karabay goes on trial tomorrow, facing 6–15 years on politically motivated charges in Türkiye. Detained since May and held in solitary, he continues to write. Read his work in the most recent article of PEN/Opp: penopp.org/articles/i-w...

This month’s reading list is themed “From Behind Bars” in for our #DayoftheImprisonedWriter campaign. These works, born from experiences behind bars remind us that the human voice endures even when freedom is taken away. Take action for those behind bars: www.pen-international.org/our-campaign...