See what we got up to this year with your support.
Hi Friend, 2025 was a year marked by significant threats to free expression, and PEN America and our supporters have made a difference. Here’s a "greatest hits" list of what PEN America was able to accomplish this year, thanks to your support:
1. "Takin' it to the Courts" feat. the Freedom to Read
PEN America's precedent-setting 2023 Escambia case is cited in courts nationwide to overturn book bans, and we filed a new lawsuit in Tennessee against a district's removal of more than 145 books.
2. "Freedom" feat. International Press Freedom
Vladyslav Yesypenko, recipient of the 2022 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award, was released after four years in Russian imprisonment following sustained global advocacy by PEN America.
3. "I Passed the Law" feat. Freedom to Read Acts
PEN America, state-based coalition partners, and local activist groups helped pass Freedom to Read Acts in Delaware, Rhode Island, Colorado, Connecticut, and Oregon.
4. "This Land is Our Land" feat. A Pledge to Democracy
PEN America's Champions of Higher Education published A Pledge to Our Democracy, endorsed by more than 140 former college and university presidents and chancellors, and pledging to uphold both academic freedom and First Amendment protections on campuses.
5. "Whatever it Takes" feat. Connecting Writers to Opportunities
PEN America launched the first online Incarcerated Writers Bureau, connecting incarcerated writers with publishing opportunities and bringing their work to wider audiences.
We couldn’t have done any of this work without our donors. If you’d like to make your first gift today, there’s no better time: All gifts until December 31st will be matched up to $50,000, doubling your impact.
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