Tag Archives: American PEN

China: Suspension of Feminist Social Media Another Example of “Zero Tolerance”

NEW YORK—The suspension of a feminist group’s social media accounts underscores China’s “zero tolerance” policy for free speech and human rights, said PEN America in a statement today. Continue reading

65 Leading Writers Call on Trump to Halt Visa Ban

NEW YORK—Sixty of the most prominent names in literature have sent a joint letter with PEN America to President Donald Trump today, urging him not to impose a new immigration ban that would affect the ability of artists, writers, and thinkers to travel to the United States. Continue reading

PEN World Voices Festival: Gender and Power

New York, NY (February 16, 2017) –The thirteenth annual PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature will focus its lens on today’s fractious relationship between gender and power. Taking place in New York City, May 1-7, 2017, the weeklong Festival will use literature and the arts to address how gender both enables and impairs full participation in politics and society. At a moment of unprecedented threats to freedom and truth, and of emboldened mobilization and resistance, the Festival will connect leading global writers, artists and thinkers with concerned citizens to examine bigotry, misogyny and xenophobia, and to bolster the movement to counter them. Continue reading

What Can’t Be Sung: Xiaolu Guo and Nellie McKay in Conversation with Sasha Frere-Jones

 

Xiaolu Guo_Internet_VersionTuesday, September 09, 2014, 7:30pm

With Xiaolu Guo, Sasha Frere-Jones, Nellie McKay Continue reading

PEN International:Take Action for Uyghur writer and PEN member Ilham Tohti

PEN International is seriously concerned for the well-being of Uyghur writer, academic and Uyghur PEN member, Ilham Tohti, who was formally charged with “splittism” on 20 February 2014, amid a crackdown on Chinese Uyghurs critical of the government. His wife received formal notification of the charges on 25 February. Dozens of writers have joined American PEN in calling for his release.

Ilham Tohti
Ilham Tohti has been a target of frequent harassment by Chinese authorities for his outspoken views on Uyghur rights since he established Uyghur Online in 2006

Writer, economist, and Uyghur PEN Member Ilham Tohti was arrested on January 15, 2014 for his peaceful expression in defense of human rights of the Uyghur people. If convicted, he could face life in prison, or even the death penalty. Tohti’s arrest came shortly after the Chinese government’s pledge to make “maintaining social stability” the primary strategic goal within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, which PEN believes is part of a crackdown on dissent and criticism of Chinese government policies by the Uyghur people. Join PEN and writers including Teju Cole, Salman Rushdie, Francine Prose, Nicole Krauss, and more than 50 others by taking action to tell Chinese authorities to release Ilham Tohti now. To sign PEN’s letter click here.

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