PEN International
Description
PEN International is a worldwide association of writers working to protect freedom of expression and to promote literature. It was founded in London in 1921. Today it operates across five continents in more than 100 countries. Its work is carried out locally by over 130 national and regional PEN Centres, which support the unhampered exchange of thought within and between nations.
The organization is guided by the PEN Charter, adopted in 1948. Members commit to opposing censorship and suppression of free expression, to championing a free press, and to fostering understanding between peoples regardless of political upheaval.
From its headquarters in London, a staff team coordinates research, policy and advocacy, communications and campaigns, fundraising, and regional programmes. These cover Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia/Pacific and the Middle East and North Africa. The team works alongside an elected international board and five standing committees, on translation and linguistic rights, writers for peace, writers in prison, women writers and young writers.
PEN International operates a whistleblowing reporting channel. It holds an annual Congress, hosted each year by a different PEN Centre, where members adopt resolutions and set policy positions on issues such as linguistic rights and digital freedom.
It is a registered charity in England and Wales, governed by an elected Executive Board. It is supported by donations, patrons and partners, including publishing houses, foundations and government bodies. It publishes strategic plans, funding and governance policies, and annual trustees’ reports and audited accounts, and states a commitment to accountability and transparency toward its members, supporters and partners worldwide.
Latest news
Georgia: Joint civil society letter to PACE members on Georgia
25 September 2026: PEN International joins Human Rights House Foundation and partners in calling on members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to urge their governments to seriously assess an inter-State application against Georgia before the European Court of Human Rights
25 Sep 2026
Colombia: Gender-based violence against journalists and writers condemned
‘The threats against these journalists and writers are intended to silence them, limit their employment opportunities and, above all, intimidate other women who dare to speak out against violence. We cannot allow those who expose these abuses to be punished for speaking out. The Colombian authoritie
24 Sep 2026
The undersigned freedom of expression and press freedom organisations urge Peru’s judiciary to dismiss the complaint filed on 17 August by the Asociación Civil San Juan Bautista (ACSJB) against investigative journalist Paola Ugaz. The complaint, a copy of which is held by the organisations, is
21 Sep 2026
“Under the International Court of Justice’s January 2024 order , the State of Israel is required to preserve evidence relating to the conduct of its forces in Gaza and to prevent its destruction. Rather than complying with their obligations under international law, Israeli authorities have
18 Sep 2026
Eritrea: An open letter to President Isaias Afwerki
18 September 2026: Acclaimed writers from around the world have signed an open letter to President Isaias Afwerki, in support of PEN’s global Proof of Life campaign. Signatories include Nobel laureates Olga Tokarczuk and J.M. Coetzee ; Burhan Sonmez , President of PEN International; Rohinton M
18 Sep 2026
17 September 2026: PEN International joins 10 organisations in calling for the U.S. government to raise the cases of Le Huu Minh Tuan, Pham Chi Dung, Nguyen Tuong Thuy, and Pham Duong Trang with senior Vietnamese officials and call for their release. In addition, PEN International urges the
17 Sep 2026
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