PEN Canada defends freedom of expression, aids writers in peril, and celebrates the power of the written word.
PEN Canada defends freedom of expression, aids writers in peril, and celebrates the power of the written word.
Defend Expression
our work on issues at home and abroad:
We Are Writers: Collective Freedom and the Cost of Its Defense
January 29, 2026
How a 1994 manifesto marked a decisive moment in the institutional memory of Iranian literary resistance.
The Moral Collapse of Silence
January 28, 2026
Under total internet shutdown and informational darkness in Iran, we still do not know how the killing machine is operating.
Call to Writers, by Fereshteh Molavi
January 27, 2026
The people of Iran need to be seen, to be heard, and to connect with the world.
Photo credit: CBC Still Photo Collection
The Joan Leishman Memorial Fund is PEN Canada’s first fund dedicated to providing critical assistance and creating opportunities for writers living in exile in Canada.
Iran’s detainees at high risk amidst communications blackout
January 14, 2026
Iran is facing one of the most severe periods of repression in its recent history.
Egypt: PEN International welcomes Alaa Abd El-Fattah’s release and urges Egyptian authorities to release imprisoned writers
October 4, 2025
Egyptian authorities should also lift any restrictions that may hinder his travel to the UK to reunite with his son.
From the Archives: What I Have Learned from Exiled Journalists
August 22, 2025
Anneli Andre-Barrett is a senior volunteer for the PEN Canada Writers in Exile community.
Read the poetry and stories of the 2025 New Voices Award cohort
August 20, 2025
Excerpts from the winners and finalists, plus praise from the jury of Canadian authors.
A conversation with Ira Wells, president of PEN Canada
July 3, 2025
Wells on why he joined PEN and the challenges facing free expression today.
News and books from previous New Voices Award winners
May 9, 2025
Titles from Christine Wu, Deepa Rajagopalan, Noor Naga and more.
Events
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