Latest news
PEN International 91st Congress:
Freedom of Words
Words of the Free
Held under the banner “Freedom of Words – Words of the Free”, PEN International’s 91st Congress — hosted in partnership with Polish PEN from 2 to 5 September 2025 in Kraków, Poland — will bring together writers and PEN Centres from around the world to explore the future of literature in the face of war, censorship, disinformation, and displacement—and the new visions and solidarities that can shape a shared literary future.
This year’s public events programme includes evening discussions open to audiences in Kraków, featuring internationally renowned writers such as Olga Tokarczuk, Raja Shehadeh, Adam Michnik, Andrei Kurkov, and Margaret Atwood (online), alongside leading voices from Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Lithuania, and more.
From Persecution to Protection
Our vital program provides a wide range of practical help to writers all over the world, wherever need is greatest. We are receiving more requests for assistance than we can respond to.
Identity on Trial: Persecution and Resistance
PEN International is proud to launch Identity on Trial: Persecution and Resistance – its Case List 2025, which highlights the increasing persecution of writers based on their identity. This year’s report documents the alarming rise in censorship, imprisonment, and threats faced by writers due to their gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or religious beliefs. It underscores a disturbing global trend: those who dare express their identity or challenge dominant narratives are being silenced through legal threats, censorship, and violence.
Stay in touch
Join our newsletter to hear the latest news from PEN International.
Photo Credit: Roberk Brooks
Become a friend of PEN International
Freedom of expression is deteriorating worldwide giving way to a rise in hate speech and oppressive legislation which threatens the lives and wellbeing of all kinds of writers, inc. poets, novelists, and journalists, as well as publishers. Meanwhile, writers, particularly women and those from marginalised communities, still need equal access and representation within the literary and civic spaces.
Become a Friend of PEN International today and help us continue our vital work to defend free expression and promote literature worldwide.
About us
We believe in everyone’s freedom to write and read, wherever they are in the world. Founded in 1921, today PEN International is recognised as the world’s foremost association of writers, as well as a leading international charity and expert on freedom of expression.