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International Women’s Day: Take action for imprisoned writer Valeryja Kaściuhova
On International Women’s Day, PEN International is taking action for Valeryja Kaściuhova — a writer, editor and political scientist serving a 10-year prison sentence in Homel, Belarus.
Arrested in June 2021, Kaściuhova was convicted in March 2023 on politically motivated charges commonly used to silence independent voices. Reports indicate that she is in need of medical care while in detention, raising serious concerns about her wellbeing.
From 8–20 March, join PEN International in calling on the Belarusian authorities to release Valeryja Kaściuhova immediately and unconditionally, and to ensure she has access to adequate medical care while in detention.
PEN International’s Writers for Peace Committee
The Writers for Peace Committee (WfPC) connects literature and human rights, providing a forum for writers to address conflict and social division. Established in 1984 on the initiative of Slovene writer Miloš Mikeln, and based at Slovene PEN, the Committee was created to bridge divides during the Cold War. Today, it continues to be a platform for promoting intercultural dialogue, peace, tolerance, and freedom of expression, as well as for supporting writers in war and conflict zones.
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.
Lenguas Vivas
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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.