PEN Reads: The PEN World Voices Festival goes digital

The PEN World Voices Festival Goes Digital

There has never been a greater need for us to hear the deeper truths afforded by literature. PEN America has curated an ongoing digital version of our World Voices Festival, which includes a suite of podcasts, videos, interviews, and musical playlists. Join us in celebrating the beauty and power of storytelling from home. Learn more here »

PODCASTS

These Truths: Episode 1

The World Voices Podcast

Check out the first episode of These Truths: The World Voices Podcast, featuring John Freeman, author and executive editor of Literary Hub, and the Turkish novelist and activist Elif Shafak. Listen now »

READING LISTS

Asian American Voices

An APA Heritage Month
Reading List

From poetry and fiction, to experimental sportswriting and biography, the books in our newest reading list share striking insights about the Asian American experience.
See the full list here »

WRITERS WHO COOK

Celeste Ng's
Go-To Bread Recipe

We're asking some of our favorite writers what they're cooking at home these days. Our latest recipe comes from Celeste Ng, author of Little Fires Everywhere.
See it here »

BOOKSTORE ROUNDUP

Spotlighting Indie Bookstores

PEN America is continuing to spotlight some of our favorite independent bookstores around the country. Check out Volume 2 and Volume 3 of our roundup, featuring stores from the Piedmont Region, Tulsa, Atlanta, Chicago, NYC, and LA.

PRE-ORDER NOW

Dare to Speak

From PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel, Dare to Speak is a a vital, necessary playbook for navigating and defending free speech today while also cultivating a more inclusive public culture. Learn more here, and tune in to our weekly "Tough Questions" segment with Suzanne on The PEN Pod, where we discuss tricky questions about free speech and expression.

The PEN Ten

Featuring interviews with authors on their craft and what they're reading now.

› Samanta Schweblin

› Jaime Manrique

› C. Pam Zhang

› Mahogany L. Browne

The PEN Pod

Catch up on our latest conversations with authors and journalists.

› Author and screenwriter Charles Yu on his new book, Interior Chinatown, and why Asian American representation in entertainment matters. Listen here »

› Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Jose Antonio Vargas on how the pandemic is impacting immigrants in the United States and around the globe. Listen here »

Coming up

Virtual Events

› May 9: Children’s Book Week: A Reading Hour with Natashia Deón. Presented in partnership with the California African American Museum. RSVP here »

› May 15: Celebrate LA: The Emerging Voices Reading. PEN America's 2020 Emerging Voices Fellows read from their works. Learn more here »

› May 16: Poets Gather to Celebrate Nandi Comer’s Book Release. Presented in partnership with Northwestern University Press. Learn more here »

From Our Partners

Random House Presents: Virtual Commencement

Tuesday, May 12 | 8 PM EST
TICKETS: $10

Join Random House for a virtual commencement ceremony, as an all-star lineup of bestselling authors, including Martha Stewart, George Saunders, Lauren Graham, and Anna Quindlen toasts this year’s grads. Use code RHGRAD2020* for 20% off, plus free shipping, when you purchase their books, featured here.

Get your tickets now »

* Valid through May 26, 2020