Dear Friend,
Some two decades ago, when I served as PEN America’s president, we conceived the PEN World Voices Festival. It quickly became the premier international literary festival in the country.
This year, a pandemic put that tradition in jeopardy.
As authors were forced to cancel book tours, we took the step of canceling our festival and the readings and events and celebrations that often shape the contours of a year at PEN America.
But with your support, we moved our operations online. Our hallmark PEN Out Loud series brought in the highest number of attendees ever with a virtual audience around the globe. Our What To Expect When You're Electing initiative reached millions. Our Writers Emergency Fund gave small grants to working writers struggling to make ends meet amid the crisis.
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