Founded in 1983, PEN Canada is a nonpartisan organization of writers and readers. We fight censorship, help free persecuted writers from prison, assist exiled writers who live in Canada, and promote literature.
Writers are central to PEN. Around the world, we advocate for writers who are persecuted, imprisoned and tortured for expressing themselves. We call for their release, create pathways to freedom and safety, and offer emergency relief. And for those that make it to Canada and seek amnesty, we offer support to immigrant writers — the writers in exile.
PEN has freed thousands of writers from unjust prison sentences and kept writers safe from threats, violence, and murder. It has insisted that art and literature, and the liberal values that they foster, should always remain “untouched by national or political passion.” Our stories, be they fictional or factual, must never be at the mercy of those who would silence writers and journalists.
At home, PEN Canada fights censorship and defends the right to freedom of expression. We document contemporary international violations of freedom of expression and produce book-length studies of freedom of expression. And through our prizes, programs and events we aim to stimulate dialogue, uplift voices and create a more just world.
Learn more about our: