PEN Canada elects new president, Ira Wells
TORONTO – PEN Canada is pleased to announce Ira Wells as the new president of PEN Canada. He was elected on Thursday, June 12, 2025 during the PEN Canada Annual …
News
Joint letter to Keir Starmer on anniversary of Apple Daily closure
Jimmy Lai is a pro-democracy campaigner, writer, and founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily newspaper. He has been imprisoned in solitary confinement since December 2020 and now faces prosecution under …
Joint Call for the Withdrawal of Bill C-2
PEN Canada joins 39 organizations and 132 individuals in a joint letter demanding a complete withdrawal of Bill C-2. The following letter was sent this week to Canadian authorities, including …
PEN Canada publishes Annual Report 2024/2025
The 2024/2025 annual report, I Hope This Letter Finds You Well, explores the power of letter writing as a tool of connection and advocacy. Edited by poet and writer Eli …
Meet the jury for the 2025 Ken Filkow and Marie-Ange Garrigue prizes
PEN Canada is seeking nominations from peers and civil society partners for two annual awards: the Ken Filkow Prize, for advancing freedom of expression in Canada, and the Marie-Ange Garrigue Prize, …
Open letter calling for the Government of Venezuela to immediately release human rights defender Eduardo Torres
June 9, 2025 Nicolás Maduro Moros Presidency of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Jorge Rodríguez Gómez Presidency of the National Assembly of Venezuela. We, the undersigned civil society organizations, are …
PEN Canada condemns Alberta’s book banning initiative
PEN Canada unequivocally condemns the Alberta government’s decision to pursue policies that are likely to lead to widespread book bans in the province’s schools. In May, the government announced plans …
PEN Canada alarmed by CTV’s cancellation of fact-checking segment following online backlash
PEN Canada is deeply concerned by CTV’s abrupt cancellation of a planned election misinformation segment, following what appears to be pressure from online harassment. Earlier this month, journalist Rachel Gilmore …
Meet the jury for the 2025 New Voices Award
PEN Canada is accepting submissions for the 2025 RBC PEN Canada New Voices Award. The award encourages new writing and provides a space for unpublished writers (age 17 and over). …
PEN Canada, PEN America, and PEN Québec joined today in a united call for books and literature to flow freely across our shared border.
Amid rising political tensions between the U.S. and Canada, and escalating threats of a broader trade war, the downstream effects of tariffs on writers, readers, publishers, and booksellers will be …