PEN International Women Writers Committee
Founded in 1991, the PEN International Women Writers Committee exists to amplify and protect the voices of women writers worldwide. The Committee defends women at risk, promotes their literary work across cultures, and advocates for equity and representation in the global literary community.
Through advocacy, solidarity, and the power of storytelling, PIWWC has spent more than three decades championing women’s freedom of expression and ensuring their voices are heard.
Committee News
The PEN International Womens Writers Committee
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Judyth Hill
Chair
Judyth Hill, poet, maestra, editor, author of nine books of poetry and the internationally acclaimed poem, Wage Peace, is Chair of the PEN International Women Writers Committee, Special Projects Director San Miguel Writers Conference, President Emerita of San Miguel PEN, and Managing Editor of Wild Rising Press. -
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Lucina Kathmann
WWC Board Member
Lucina Kathmann is a writer and activist from the USA. Her multilingual books, essays, and short stories have been published internationally. She was chair of the PIWWC from 1996 to 2000. She has been active on the PIWWC from before the committee was formally accepted in November 1991 to the present. -
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Sarah Lawson
WWC Secretary and English PEN Member
Sarah Lawson, born in the USA but long resident in England, is a poet and translator and has been a member of English PEN since 1979, serving at various times on its board and its Writers-in-Prison Committees -
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Olha Mukha
WWC Board Member
Olha Mukha, PhD, is a cultural analyst and philosopher, cultural manager, curator and expert on international communication and human rights, and she is known for her extensive work in cultural diplomacy and human rights.
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Wezi Glory Msukwa-Panje
PEN Malawi
Wezi Glory Msukwa-Panje is a Malawian poet and a celebrated children’s book author whose works are used in Malawian schools. She is also an editor, translator and passionate linguist, advocating for language preservation and promotion, literacy, creativity and linguistic diversity in schools of all education levels. -
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Tanja Tuma
PEN Slovenia and Vice Chair of the Board of PEN International
Tanja Tuma is a publisher and writer, now president of PEN Slovenia and Vice-Chair of the Board of PEN International. She has worked for 25 years in the publishing and bookselling industry locally and internationally, but after 2010 she dedicated herself entirely to writing. She has published six novels, four in English and two in Slovenian. -
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Mahi Ramakrishnan
PEN Malaysia President
Mahi Ramakrishnan is a refugee rights activist and runs a non-profit organisation, Beyond Borders, which works to promote and protect the rights of refugees and stateless persons in Malaysia. She is also a poet and lives in Malaysia. -
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Sotiria Georganti
PEN Greece Secretary
Sotiria Georganti has studied Law and English Literature, writes literary reviews and conducts interviews with prominent writers. She has been Chair of the PEN Greece WWC since 2022 and was elected General Secretary of PEN Greece in 2025.
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