Awards

After weeks of criticism, including the withdrawal of approximately one third of nominated writers, PEN America announced on Monday that it will cancel this year’s Literary Awards ceremony. “We greatly respect that writers have followed their consciences, whether they chose to remain as nominees in their respective categories or not,” PEN America literary programming chief officer Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf said in a release. “We regret that this unprecedented situation has taken away the spotlight from the extraordinary work selected by esteemed, insightful and hard-working judges across all categories. As an organization dedicated to freedom of expression and writers, our commitment […]

Nine of the ten authors longlisted for the $75,000 PEN/Jean Stein Award have withdrawn their books from consideration, as part of a continued boycott of PEN America over the organization’s response to the war in Gaza. Camille Dungy’s SOIL is currently the book that remains. In a statement provided by her publisher, Dungy said, “Right now in America, book bans are increasing at an alarming rate. In states like the one where I live—Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Iowa—such bans are putting young people at risk, particularly Black, Brown, queer, and trans youths who can’t access books that represent and affirm who […]