PEN International and Feltrinelli Publishing launch the PEN–Inge Feltrinelli Writing as Resistance Award

“Partnerships like this show that defending freedom of expression is never a solitary effort. Together with the Inge Feltrinelli Prize, we stand with writers who risk everything to challenge injustice and confront oppression head-on. We shine a light on brave voices, those too often ignored, and ensure their words pierce across borders and communities. In a world where freedom of expression is under siege and threats are rising, it is vital to protect and celebrate those writers who dare to resist, creating spaces where writing can thrive, and where words have the power to challenge, provoke, and inspire. By doing so, we uphold more than individuals — we uphold the principles of free thought, open dialogue, and human dignity itself. This is at the heart of PEN International’s mission: defending writers everywhere and safeguarding the right to imagine, write, read, speak, and share ideas freely across the globe — a mission that has guided our work since our foundation in 1921 and continues today in more than 100 countries worldwide.” (Burhan Sonmez, President of PEN International)

24 March 2026: PEN International and Feltrinelli Publishing have launched thePEN–Inge Feltrinelli Writing as Resistance Award, a new collaboration established within the framework of the prestigious Inge Feltrinelli Prize. Introduced under the 2026 theme “Writing to Resist,” the award reflects the shared commitment of PEN International and the Inge Feltrinelli Prize to support and give visibility to writers and journalists who use writing as a tool for civic engagement and the defence of human rights. 

Through this partnership, PEN International and Feltrinelli Publishing aim to raise awareness of courageous voices and the contexts in which they work, reaffirming the vital role of literature and free expression in upholding fundamental rights. 

By celebrating writers who demonstrate exceptional courage and solidarity in defence of freedom of expression, and whose work challenges oppression and amplifies silenced voices, the award ensures that those facing threats or marginalisation are not alone and that their words reach audiences across borders, in line with PEN International’s mission. It also underscores how literature fosters understanding and empathy, sustains human dignity, and serves as a powerful tool for societal transformation. 

PEN International has been guided by these principles since its foundation in 1921,  and continues its work today across more than 100 countries worldwide.  

Open to authors worldwide, the award will involve an initial shortlist prepared by a dedicated international committee, with the final recipient chosen by a joint PEN–Feltrinelli jury. The announcement will be made during BookCity Milano in November 2026. 

“In these times of crisis, which seem to offer no respite, we continue to move as though normality were still intact, while the world around us shows ever more evident cracks. It therefore becomes essential to preserve and nurture everything that represents an alternative culture: a critical space, often marginal yet vital, capable of challenging the dominant narrative of those who hold power. It is on these premises that the collaboration between the Inge Feltrinelli Prize and PEN International formally begins today—two institutions whose defining mission is the protection of freedom of expression. Through writing of all kinds — investigative, literary, poetic —  we keep the spotlight on places and lives that too often remain at the margins of our attention, making a small yet tenacious gesture of resistance against dehumanisation. And in this gesture there is something that speaks deeply to the spirit of Inge Feltrinelli: in her youth as a photojournalist and later as a publisher, she always believed that books were not merely cultural objects, but instruments through which people could reach out to one another.” (Carlo Feltrinelli, Chair of the Jury of the Inge Feltrinelli Prize)

Note to Editors:

For media queries, please contact  Sabrina Tucci, Head of Communications and Campaigns, PEN International: [email protected]