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Dear Friend,
“As they say, history does not repeat itself, but it rhymes.”
I wrote these words in my latest novel The Testaments, the sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale. When I wrote The Handmaid’s Tale, I made one simple rule for myself: I did not include anything in the story that human beings had not already done in some other place or time. And if there’s anything we’ve learned from the last four years, it’s that tyranny always follows the same plot.
Over these last four years, we’ve seen countless crackdowns on free speech and expression. The truth has been distorted by authoritarian regimes around the world, with books, stories, and speech being banned and restricted by those in power.
While 2021 brings with it some hope for a reprieve, we need to stay vigilant. That’s why I’m asking you to give generously to PEN America as we close the books on 2020.
No other organization has done as much as PEN America has over the last century to protect writers and their stories. Their staff is working tirelessly to uphold and defend freedom of expression, including by advocating for imprisoned writers and artists around the world whose only crimes were telling the truth.
Please join me in committing to supporting PEN America and their work. The future of free expression depends on it.
Sincerely,
Margaret Atwood
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