PEN Canada envisions a world where
writers are free to write,
readers are free to read,
and freedom of expression prevails
To commemorate Human Rights Day, PEN International and PEN Centres are launching an essay series and holding events on human rights issues across the globe. The aftermath of the decriminalization of libel laws in Ghana: the state of freedom of expression and journalistic practice Introduction Ghana’s criminal libel and seditious laws (commonly referred to as […]
Egypt’s detention and arrest of several activists – including prominent Egyptian author Ahdaf Soueif – demonstrates that the Egyptian government is more concerned with its reputation than the rights of its citizens, including their freedom of expression and right to information, PEN International said today in a joint statement alongside PEN America and English PEN. […]
PEN International is deeply concerned by the ongoing prosecution of poet and PEN member, Saw Wai, who stands accused of defaming the military under Section 505(a) of the Penal Code, after speaking at an event in Kaw Thaung township, in the Tanintharyi region of Southwestern Myanmar. If convicted, he could face up to two years in […]
London, March 5, 2020- The harassment and aggressions against journalists and the President of Nicaraguan PEN Centre, Gioconda Belli, which occurred in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Managua during the memorial mass for the theologian and poet Ernesto Cardenal, demonstrate once again that Daniel Ortega’s government continues criminalizing the right to dissent, and the right to […]
Physical attacks, online harassment and censorship: In recent days, media freedom organizations have shed light on threats against journalists reporting on the arrival of migrants into Greece. These attacks are taking place in a context of violence against migrants and those supporting them, such as NGOs and self-organized groups. They restrict the ability of journalists to work safely […]
UAE: Appeal for free expression to be tolerated as Hay Festival Abu Dhabi brings authors to the Emirates As the Hay Festival Abu Dhabi opens on February 25-28 2020 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), we the undersigned call on the authorities to show their respect for the right to freedom of expression by freeing […]
Noor Naga is the winner of the 2019 RBC/PEN Canada New Voices Award for unpublished writers aged 17-30. The award, funded by the RBC Emerging Artists Project, includes a $3,000 cash prize and mentorship from a Canadian author. Since winning the prize, Naga has been working with her mentor Anne Michaels. Naga has a verse-novel, […]
Nominations for the 2020 PEN Canada/Ken Filkow prize are now open. The $1,000 annual prize is awarded to an individual or group that has advanced freedom of expression in Canada. The deadline for nominations is May 15, 2020. Previous winners of the prize include Raihan Abir and Desmond Cole. You can see a tribute to […]
London, February 25, 2020 – The conviction and sentencing of Swedish-Chinese publisher Gui Minhai to 10 years in prison on charges of ‘providing intelligence’ abroad appears to be in retaliation for his work as a publisher and in response to international calls for his freedom, said PEN International today, as it called on the Chinese authorities […]
London, February 21, 2020 – The decision of the High Court to overturn the conviction and sentence of academic, activist and writer Dr. Stella Nyanzi, is a reassuring sign of the just nature of Uganda’s judicial system to recognize fair trial violations, said PEN International today, as it welcomed the ruling. At a hearing at […]
Finding the Words: Writers on Inspiration, Desire, War, Celebrity, Exile, and Breaking the Rules