Who we are

100 years of celebrating literature and protecting freedom of expression

PEN International was founded in London, UK, in 1921, simply as PEN. Today it operates across five continents in over 100 countries, with 147 Centres supporting unhampered transmission of thought within each nation and between all nations.

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Literature knows no frontiers…

PEN International is guided by the ideals of the PEN Charter, which expresses every member’s commitment to protecting the free exchange of ideas, and promoting the value of literature.

  • The PEN Charter affirms that:

    Literature knows no frontiers and must remain common currency among people in spite of political or international upheavals.

    In all circumstances, and particularly in time of war, works of art, the patrimony of humanity at large, should be left untouched by national or political passion.

    Members of PEN should at all times use what influence they have in favour of good understanding and mutual respect between nations and people; they pledge themselves to do their utmost to dispel all hatreds and to champion the ideal of one humanity living in peace and equality in one world.

    PEN stands for the principle of unhampered transmission of thought within each nation and between all nations, and members pledge themselves to oppose any form of suppression of freedom of expression in the country and community to which they belong, as well as throughout the world wherever this is possible. PEN declares for a free press and opposes arbitrary censorship in time of peace. It believes that the necessary advance of the world towards a more highly organised political and economic order renders a free criticism of governments, administrations and institutions imperative. And since freedom implies voluntary restraint, members pledge themselves to oppose such evils of a free press as mendacious publication, deliberate falsehood and distortion of facts for political and personal ends.

    The Charter of PEN International has guided, unified and inspired its members for over 70 years. It was approved at the 1948 PEN Congress in Copenhagen.

 Board

The board of PEN International is elected by PEN Centres. Board members come from across the globe and share a belief that our organisation can make a vital contribution to literature and freedom of expression. They are responsible for the governance and strategic direction of PEN.

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    Burhan Sonmez

    International President

  • A woman with short blonde hair and glasses, wearing a pearl necklace, in an indoor setting with blurred bookshelves in the background.

    Regula Venske

    International Secretary

  • Portrait of an older man with gray hair and a friendly smile, wearing a blue collared shirt and a gray sweater.

    Eric Lax

    Treasurer

  • A joyful woman with short hair and a necklace, smiling and holding a bookshelf filled with books.

    Beatrice Lamwaka

    Board Member

  • Close-up of a middle-aged man with blond hair, blue eyes, and a light beard, wearing a black leather jacket outdoors.

    David Francis

    Board Member

  • A woman with shoulder-length dark brown hair and fair skin, wearing a dark gray top, looking serious with her hands pressed together near her chin against a black background.

    Iman Humaydan

    Board member

  • A woman with shoulder-length brown hair and light skin, wearing a black blazer with white stitching and a white collared shirt, posing for a professional portrait with a neutral background.

    Tanja Tuma

    Board Member

  • Close-up of a middle-aged man with glasses, light hair, and a beard, wearing a dark shirt.

    Ola Larsmo

    Board Member

  • A smiling older man with a beard and bald head, wearing a blue denim shirt, holding glasses in his hand.

    Gabriel Seisdedos

    Board Member

  • A smiling middle-aged man with gray hair, beard, glasses, wearing a dark t-shirt, in a room with blurry wall art in the background.

    Salil Tripathi

    Board Member

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    Monet Goode

    FOUNDER

    It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.

  • A middle-aged woman with blonde hair and glasses, wearing a black top and a pearl necklace, resting her chin on her hand, in an indoor setting with bookshelves in the background.

    Emmett Marsh

    DESIGN DIRECTOR

    It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.

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    Eleanor Parks

    SUSTAINABILITY DIRECTOR

    It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.

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  • Close-up of a man with short dark hair, glasses, and light skin, outdoors with a blurred green background.

    Burhan Sonmez

    International President

  • A middle-aged woman with shoulder-length blonde hair, wearing glasses, a black top, and a pearl necklace, sitting indoors with a thoughtful expression.

    Regula Venske

    International Secretary

  • Portrait of an older man with white hair, smiling, wearing a blue collared shirt and a gray sweater against a dark background.

    Eric Lax

    Treasurer

  • A smiling woman with short hair wearing a bead necklace and a black shirt, holding a bookshelf with books.

    Beatrice Lamwaka

    Board Member

  • Close-up of a middle-aged man with blond hair and blue eyes, wearing a black leather jacket, standing outdoors with a blurred urban background.

    David Francis

    Board Member

  • A middle-aged woman with shoulder-length brown hair and a serious expression, wearing a dark gray top, holding her hands together near her chin against a black background.

    Iman Humaydan

    Board member

  • Professional woman with shoulder-length brown hair and light makeup, wearing a black blazer with white stitching over a white blouse, looking directly at the camera.

    Tanja Tuma

    Board Member

  • A middle-aged man with a beard and glasses, wearing a black shirt, standing outdoors with a blurred background.

    Ola Larsmo

    Board Member

  • A smiling middle-aged man with a beard, holding glasses, wearing a blue denim shirt and standing in front of a light-colored wall.

    Gabriel Seisdedos

    Board Member

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    Salil Tripathi

    Board Member

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Vice Presidents

Svetlana Alexievich
Margaret Atwood
Niels E. Barford
J. M. Coetzee
Sook-Hee Chun
Lucina Kathmann
Kata Kulavkova
Eric Lax
Joanne Leedom-Ackermann
Jens Lohmann
Predrag Matvejevic
Perumal Murugan
Boris A. Novak

William Nygaard
Vida Ognjenovic
Orhan Pamuk
Elena Poniatowska
Nayantara Sahgal
Michael Scammell
Eugene Schoulgin
Hori Takeaki
Franca Tiberto
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o
Luisa Valenzuela

Presidents Emeritus

Homero Aridjis, Jennifer Clement, Mario Vargas Llosa, John Ralston Saul, Per Wästberg

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Patrons and partners   

PEN International's commitment to the promotion of literature and fight for freedom of expression would not be possible without our patrons and partners. We are grateful for their solidarity and support.

  • The generous support of all our Patrons is crucial in helping us to protect persecuted writers and their dependents, to respond quickly in emergencies, and to challenge threats to freedom of expression.

    Please contact us here to discuss becoming a PEN partner or member of one of our Patrons Circles.

    President’s Circle

    Hachette Livre
    Eric Lax and Karen Sulzberger
    Penguin Random House

    Atlas Folio Patrons

    Anonymous Donor

    Folio Patrons

    Anne and Michael Golden
    Moomin Characters Oy Ltd
    C.H. Beck

    Quarto Patrons

    Yann Martel

    Octavo Patrons

    Jeremy Mogford & ‘The Oxford Collection’

    Special Mentions

    Isabel Allende
    Margaret Atwood
    David Lagercrantz
    Orhan Pamuk

  • Margaret Atwood

    Catherine Banner

    Andrea Barnet

    Simon Beckett

    Carolyn Cohagan

    Anthony Doerr

    Gwen Edelman

    Carleton Eastlake

    David Francis

    Gina Frangello

    Rita Gabis

    Joan Gelfand

    Nina George

    Lauren Groff

    Jane Hirshfield

    Laura Hubber

    Debra Jo Immergut

    David Lagercrantz

    Eric Lax

    Joanne Leedom-Ackerman

    M. G. Lord

    Geert Mak

    Yann Martel

    Marisa Matarazzo

    Vida Ognjenović

    Ben Okri

    John Ralston Saul

    Ian Rankin

    Bernhard Schlink

    Jane Smiley

    Frances Spurrier

    Ayelet Waldman

    Jess Walter

    Jamie Wolf

    Yosef Wosk

    Patrons of the PEN International Writers’ Circle believe that literature and freedom of expression are at the heart of a strong, vibrant society. They support PEN International’s work to help silenced, unheard and unknown voices reach readers and writers everywhere.

  • Albert Bonniers Förlag

    C.H. Beck

    Finnish Book Publishers Association

    Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Editore

    Guernica Editions

    Hachette Livre

    HarperCollins International

    Luchterhand Verlag

    Mareverlag

    Natur & Kultur

    Norstedts Förlagsgrupp

    Judith Gurewich and Other Press LLC

    Penguin Random House

    Simon & Schuster

    Suhrkamp Verlag

    Patrons of the PEN International Publishers’ Circle believe that literature and freedom of expression are at the heart of a strong, vibrant society. They support PEN International’s work to help silenced, unheard and unknown voices reach readers and writers everywhere.

  • We are grateful to all our supporters and partners for helping us protect writers and defend freedom of expression:

    Sida

    Clifford Chance

    UNESCO

    UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office

    Fritt Ord

    Getty Images

    Fondazione Feltrinelli

    ICORN

    Natur & Kultur

    Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    UNDEF

 Our Staff

Our diverse and dedicated staff co-ordinate PEN International’s work from our headquarters in London, through research, advocacy, campaigns and other activities. Our team works with the board, as well as with 147 PEN Centres, national and regional hubs that carry out our work in over 100 countries.

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    Romana Cacchioli

    Executive Director

  • A man in a black suit, white shirt, and patterned tie posing in front of a brown textured background.

    Emmanuel Asamoah

    Finance, HR and Admin Director and Company Secretary

  • A woman with long curly hair and makeup, sitting in an office chair, smiling at the camera.

    Ghenwa Al Shoumari

    MENA Campaigner

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    Georgia Beeston

    Digital Officer

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    Pavlo Bilyk

    Events & Data Officer

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    Aurélia Dondo

    Head of Europe Region

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    Sandrine Fameni

    Finance and Administration Officer

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    Ross Holder

    Head of Asia/ Pacific Region

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    Paul Julien

    Head of Development

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    Salwa Mohamed

    Finance and Administration Officer

  • Black and white portrait of a woman with long hair, resting her chin on her hand, wearing a ring and bracelets, with a slight smile.

    Olha Mukha

    Congress, Committees and New Centres Manager

  • A man with curly black hair and glasses smiling at the camera, wearing a maroon shirt, standing against a plain light-colored wall.

    Nduko o’Matigere

    Head of Africa Region

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    Paminder Parbha

    Head of Programmes

  • A black-and-white portrait of a woman with wavy dark hair, light skin with freckles, and a slight smile.

    Alicia Quinones

    Head of Americas Region

  • A man with curly dark hair and a beard, wearing a black leather jacket and navy shirt, standing outdoors in a park with trees and a walking path in the background.

    Mina Thabet

    Head of Middle East and North Africa Region

  • Woman smiling and sitting outdoors at a table in a cafe or restaurant with a large beige umbrella.

    Sabrina Tucci

    Communications and Campaigns Manager

  • A woman with curly brown hair, clear glasses, and hoop earrings, smiling at the camera against a plain background.

    Portia Vanderplank-Jones

    Executive and Programmes Officer

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A list of names of writers imprisoned in various countries, with a superimposed message about the character of International P.E.N., an organization of writers opposing oppression, titled 'Writers in Prison!'.

Committees

  • The Translation and Linguistic Rights Committee promote the right of all languages to be written, read and heard, whether they are spoken by millions of people or just by a few. Through projects, events, publishing and campaigning, the Committee encourages readers and writers to explore writing from cultures other than their own.

    Founded in Stockholm in 1978, the Committee played a leading role in creating the Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights, 1996. It adopted the Girona Manifesto for Linguistic Rights, a ten-point document designed to defend linguistic diversity around the world, which expresses the goals of the Universal Declaration as well as the aims of the Committee.

    The current Chair of the Translation and Linguistic Rights Committee is Urtzi Urrutikoetxea, who is also Chair of Basque PEN / Euskal PENeko burua. Urtzi Urrutikoetxea can be contacted at [email protected]

  • The Writers for Peace Committee aims to foster dialogue between communities and countries during international conflicts. It was created in 1984 to build collaboration between writers across the Cold War East–West divide.

    The Committee meets every spring in Bled, Slovenia, for its annual conference. PEN writers from around the world come together to propose new ideas and discuss issues around conflict, peace and freedom of expression. The next Committee meeting will be held from May 15th to 17th, 2023.

    The current Chair of the Writers for Peace Committee is German Rojas, who can be contacted at [email protected]

    The Vice-Presidents are Simon Mundy, Frank Miksa, Veera Tyhtila and Tienchi Liao-Martin.

  • Established in 1960, the Writers in Prison Committee stands against worldwide attempts to silence voices of dissent. The Committee defends writers and journalists who are imprisoned or under attack for their work or their political activities, provided that they did not use or advocate violence or racial hatred. The Committee also meets to discuss structural barriers to freedom of expression and campaigns on issues such as blasphemy or, religious defamation, impunity and criminal defamation, surveillance and digital rights.

    The current Chair of the Writers in Prison is Ma Thida. Ma Thida can be contacted at [email protected].

  • The Women Writers’ Committee works to improve the situation of women across the world, especially women writers.

    Set up in 1991, the Committee reaches out to both aspiring and established women writers through PEN Centres and other organisations and networks. It works with the Writers in Prison Committee to help incarcerated or endangered women writers.

    The Committee attends meetings of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, and runs projects and activities, including literary prizes, book fairs and international conferences, centring the challenges faced by women writers around the world.

    The current Chair of the Women Writers’ Committee is Zoe Rodriguez. Zoe Rodriguez can be contacted at [email protected].

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Annual Congress

The annual PEN Congress offers an opportunity for the entire PEN community to gather and speak about our work, strategize and adopt policy positions, exchange experiences and ideas, celebrate writing in all its forms, and simply catch up with old and new friends and colleagues.

Each Congress is hosted by a PEN Centre, and is given a thematic focus, reflecting current global issues.

PEN International’s 89th Annual Congress will take place between 26-28th September 2023 online. The theme is: The Truth of Fiction and the Fiction of Reality. Centre information here.

For further information please contact Olha Mukha, Congress, Committees, and New Centres Manager at [email protected]

Congress resolutions
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Governance

PEN International is a registered charity in England and Wales, governed by an Executive Board with representatives from across our PEN Centres. We are committed to being accountable and transparent to our members, supporters, partners and the communities we work with across the globe.

To find out more about our work, explore our strategic plan, annual reports and operation policies which are available to download below.

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Respect for all languages and cultures is fundamental to the process of constructing and maintaining dialogue and peace in the world.

— The Girona Manifesto on Linguistic Rights