Venezuela: PEN International calls for the release of journalists detained amid deepening crackdown  — PEN International | Promoting Literature & Defending Freedom of Expression Worldwide “No society can thrive in silence. To persecute those who inform is to deny citizens their right to the truth. We demand the immediate release of detained Venezuelan journalists, an end to state haras...

#Venezuela: We have been informed of, and welcomes the release of journalist Leocenis Manuel García Osorio. He should never have been imprisoned. We urge Venezuelan authorities to free all journalists still unjustly detained.
@penamericas.bsky.social www.pen-international.org/news/venezue...

The Canadian Library Challenges Database | Centre for Free Expression The CFE-CFLA/FCAB Canadian Library Challenges Database provides access to challenges libraries have faced to items in their collection, and to displays, programs, room usage, and computer access.

Did you know that there's a database of banned books across Canada?

If you've heard of a ban, the @cfetmu.bsky.social encourage all libraries (public, school, academic, and government) in Canada to add it to this online resource by completing a simple form:

cfe.torontomu.ca/databases/ca...

The Writers Unlimited Festival opened at Het Nationale Theater to Olivia Newton-John’s Physical, a playful reminder of the importance of being present for conversation. The festival has already brought together Lisa Weeda, Leïla Slimani and Zoya Miari on stage and continues over the next two days.

Cuba: The unjust convictions against José Gabriel Barrenechea Chávez and rapper Nando OBDC must be overturned  — PEN International | Promoting Literature & Defending Freedom of Expression Worldwide 27 January 2026 — Civil Rights Defenders, ARC – Artists at Risk Connection, PEN Cuba in Exile, and PEN International strongly condemn the prison sentences imposed on the Cuban writer and independent j...

#Cuba: We condemn the prison sentences against writer José Gabriel Barrenechea Chávez and artist Fernando Almenares Rivera (Nando OBDC), alongside partners.

Read our joint statement with @atriskartists.bsky.social and Civil Rights Defenders ⬇️

www.pen-international.org/news/cuba-th...

Fighting Book Bans, Coast to Coast Legal teams fan out to the north, south, east, and west for the freedom to read.

Fighting Book Bans, Coast to Coast: Across America, publishers, libraries, and literary organizations are building a formidable litigation slate to ensure the availability of books in public and school libraries. www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...

FBI raids home of Washington Post reporter in ‘highly unusual and aggressive’ move Agents searched Hannah Natanson’s Virginia home and seized devices in inquiry tied to a classified materials case

#USA: We are gravely concerned about the FBI’s raid on reporter Hannah Natanson’s home in connection with a government contractor investigation — an alarming escalation that strikes at the core of press freedom.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026... @washingtonpost.com @penamericas.bsky.social

Venezuela: Following the release of five journalists, imprisoned journalist Rory Branker must also be freed  — PEN International | Promoting Literature & Defending Freedom of Expression Worldwide ‘ The arbitrary detention of writers and journalists solely for doing their jobs is a grave injustice and a direct assault on the public’s right to know. While we welcome the release of five journalis...

#Venezuela: PEN International welcomes the release of five journalists but condemns their arbitrary detention. We remain deeply concerned for Rory Branker, still detained.

All writers and journalists must be freed now. Read our statement ⬇️

www.pen-international.org/news/venezue...

By Suing the BBC, President Trump Exports His Anti-Press Tactics Abroad President Trump’s defamation lawsuit against the BBC, which seeks an extraordinary $10 billion, represents a coercive ploy to globalize his domestic threats to a free and independent press and to chil...

President Trump’s defamation lawsuit against the BBC, which seeks an extraordinary $10 billion, represents a coercive ploy to globalize his domestic threats to a free and independent press and to chill reporting overseas, says PEN America. Full statement: pen.org/press-releas...

After ‘60 Minutes’ Pulls Investigation on Deportations, PEN America Warns that Journalism Can’t Depend on Government Approval The decision by Bari Weiss, the new CBS News editor in chief, to pull a “60 Minutes” segment on the deportation of Venezuelan migrants—reportedly because the Trump administration refused to be intervi...

PEN America: Cancellation of 60 Minutes segment—reportedly because the Trump administration refused to be interviewed—represents an abandonment of "central principles of press freedom and independent news gathering."

Full statement: pen.org/press-releas... #60Minutes #Journalism #FreePress

Promotional poster for the Emerging Voices Fellowship by PEN America. The image features an artistic illustration of diverse individuals using laptops and books, symbolizing writers. Text invites early-career writers to apply for a mentorship program to support underrepresented groups in publishing, with a deadline of January 31.

Calling Emerging Writers! The 2026 Emerging Voices Fellowship application opens January 1 and closes January 31, 2026. Join a vibrant community of writers, mentors, and readers committed to bold storytelling and creative growth. Apply this January. https://pen.org/emerging-voices-fellowship/

A rough year for journalists in 2025, with a little hope for things to turn around By most measures, 2025 was a rough year for those who care about freedom of the press

"It’s safe to say this assault on the press over the past year has probably been the most aggressive that we’ve seen in modern times," said Tim Richardson, program director for journalism and disinformation at PEN America. abcnews.go.com/Business/wir...

Statement: PEN America Decries Supreme Court Decision on Book Ban Case pen.org/press-releas... @penamericas.bsky.social #libraries #bookbans

Arrestados por la policía política en Matanzas Alina Bárbara López y Jorge Fernández Era La Seguridad del Estado en #Cuba retoma los #arrestos arbitrarios contra los intelectuales que se manifiestan pacíficamente cada día 18 exigiendo #libertades.

#Cuba | PEN Internacional condena la detención arbitraria de los autores Alina Bárbara López y Jorge Fernández Era en Matanzas, hoy, 18 de diciciembre. Ambos han enfrentado una fuerte persecución por su literatura y activismo. Exigimos su liberación inmediata.

diariodecuba.com/derechos-hum...

#Cuba. PEN International condemns the arbitrary detention of writers Alina Bárbara López Hernández and Jorge Fernández Era in Matanzas on 18 Dec 2025. Both face persecution for their writing and activism. We demand their immediate release.

diariodecuba.com/derechos-hum...

Honduras: Serious international concern over the climate of harassment against the press in Honduras  — PEN International | Promoting Literature & Defending Freedom of Expression Worldwide 19 November 2025: PEN International and fellow press freedom organisations warn of escalating harassment, stigmatisation, and threats against journalists in Honduras ahead of the 30 November elections...

#Honduras: As harassment against journalists intensify before the elections, we join partner organisations in calling on authorities to deliver urgent guarantees to protect journalists and end the stigmatisation of the press.

Read our joint statement ⬇️ www.pen-international.org/news/hondura...

PEN International welcomes the UN statement on human rights and press freedom in Honduras ahead of the November 30 election. PEN and partners are contributing to the Honduras UPR process and a forthcoming assessment report.

www.ohchr.org/sites/defaul...

Rory Branker - Day of the Imprisoned Writer 2025 — PEN International | Promoting Literature & Defending Freedom of Expression Worldwide

SIGN OUR PETITION: He told the truth. They silenced him.
Rory Branker has been disappeared and detained in Venezuela for doing his job as a journalist. Add your name to set him free — journalism is not a crime.

www.pen-international.org/rory-branker...

#RoryBranker #DayoftheImprisonedWriter

#Cuba: Writer José Gabriel Barrenechea Chávez has spent 1 year in prison for his words. Accused of “public disorder,” he faces up to 6 years. The Patmos Award 2025 honoured him and his late mother for their dedication to free expression. We call for his immediate release. @penamericas.bsky.social

Cuba: Trial of writer José Gabriel Barrenechea Chávez set to open  — PEN International | Promoting Literature & Defending Freedom of Expression Worldwide ‘Cuban writers and artists continue to face relentless persecution for their books, articles, and protests. The government’s systematic efforts to silence them reveal the profound fear of free express...

El pasado 23 de septiembre, PEN Internacional expresó su profunda preocupación ante el juicio contra el escritor y periodista independiente, acusado injustamente de “desórdenes públicos”, quien podría enfrentar hasta seis años de prisión.
www.pen-international.org/news/cuba-tr...

El 31 de octubre se le otorgó el Premio Patmos 2025 a José Gabriel Barrenechea y a la memoria de su madre, en reconocimiento a su compromiso con la libertad de pensamiento.
www.martinoticias.com/a/otorgan-pr...

#Cuba. José Gabriel Barrenechea Chávez cumplió un año en prisión el 8 de noviembre pasado. PEN Internacional reitera sus llamados a las autoridades cubanas y exige su liberación inmediata. Su detención y persecución evidencian los esfuerzos del gobierno por silenciar toda disidencia.

As Book Bans Proliferate, Latine Authors Are Increasingly Caught In The Cultural Crossfire | Hola Cultura What happens when a community’s stories are stripped from the shelves? What does it mean when young Latine readers can’t find books that reflect their own

PEN International is increasingly concerned by efforts to silence diverse voices and restrict access to literature.

Read more from Hola Cultura (@holaculturadc.bsky.social) on the growing wave of book bans affecting Latine authors ⬇️

holacultura.com/as-book-bans...

NEWSLETTER N°29

#Chile #PENLasAmericas #Latinoamerica #Literatura

www.penchile.org/post/newslet...

Journalist who covered drug cartels murdered in Mexico; message left next to body, reports say Miguel Angel Beltran's body was found along a stretch of highway that connects the state of Durango with Mazatlan, a resort hub in the neighboring state of Sinaloa​.

#Mexico: PEN International condemns the killing of journalist Miguel Ángel Beltrán Martínez, found dead in Durango after going missing on 23 Oct.

We urge the Mexican authorities to conduct an immediate investigation. (@penamericas.bsky.social)

www.cbsnews.com/news/journal...

Bestselling author Jodi Picoult pushes back after her musical is canceled by Indiana high school Jodi Picoult faces bans on both her books and a musical based on her novel “Between the Lines.” The superintendent of Mississinewa High School in Indiana canceled the musical last week, citing concern...

Author @jodipicoult.bsky.social is being banned in two mediums this fall — her books and now a high school musical.

“It’s devastating... kids who put in hundreds of hours of hard work had that torn away from them because of the objections of a single parent,” she says.
apnews.com/article/jodi...

This week, we continue our theme for PEN recommends reading list: Banned Books, spotlighting writers whose works have been silenced.

Today, we feature The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende, banned in several schools in the United States.

Leading the Way: Building Safer Newsrooms for Journalists Join us for a conversation about how news organizations can protect and support journalists facing harassment and other safety challenges.

If you’re a journalist or newsroom leader concerned about safety, join @PENAmerica and @TheCAOV's free webinar, Leading the Way: Building Safer Newsrooms, on Nov. 13th at 12pm ET.

Register here: pen.org/event/buildi...

Join us today at 3 pm in front of the Mexican Embassy in London to honour journalists in Mexico who’ve been killed or disappeared for their work.

Can’t join in person? Create an altar wherever you are and share a photo with #NoOneIsGuaranteedSafety to stand in solidarity.

#Mexico: PEN International condemns the intimidating threats from criminal groups against "Semanario Zeta."

The attack follows the outlet's publication of a crucial journalistic investigation on October 13, 2025.

zetatijuana.com/2025/10/sena...

Read more ⬇️

El acoso sucede en un contexto de otras agresiones recientes contra el medio y su directora. El gobierno de Baja California debe investigar las amenazas y asegurarse de que los periodistas realicen su trabajo libremente y sin temor a represalias.
articulo19.org/senalan-a-se...