Latest news
World Poetry Day 2026: Take Action for Duannis León Taboada
On 21 March 2026, PEN International is taking action for Duannis Dabel León Taboada — a young Cuban poet serving a 14-year prison sentence following his participation in the July 2021 protests.
From 21 March to 17 April, join PEN International in calling on the Cuban authorities to release Duannis Dabel León Taboada immediately and unconditionally, and to guarantee his safety, dignity, and access to adequate medical care while he remains in detention.
PEN International’s Writers in Prison Committee
The Writers in Prison Committee (WiPC) defends the right to freedom of expression worldwide, supporting writers who are persecuted, imprisoned, or threatened for their work. Founded in 1960, the Committee monitors cases of writers at risk, campaigns for their release, and advocates against laws and practices that restrict freedom of expression. Today, it continues to be a vital network for solidarity and action, providing support to writers in prison, on trial, or under threat, and working to ensure that no writer is silenced for their words.
Lenguas Vivas
PEN International launches Lenguas Vivas, a new project celebrating the vitality of Indigenous literary expression across Latin America. Presented at FIL Guadalajara 2025, the multilingual anthology — curated by Miguel Ángel Oxlaj Cúmez — features 26 authors from Mexico (Chiapas), Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, and Guatemala, with poetry published in Indigenous languages and Spanish self-translations.
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Freedom of expression is deteriorating worldwide giving way to a rise in hate speech and oppressive legislation which threatens the lives and wellbeing of all kinds of writers, inc. poets, novelists, and journalists, as well as publishers. Meanwhile, writers, particularly women and those from marginalised communities, still need equal access and representation within the literary and civic spaces.
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We believe in everyone’s freedom to write and read, wherever they are in the world. Founded in 1921, today PEN International is recognised as the world’s foremost association of writers, as well as a leading international charity and expert on freedom of expression.