The PEN Ten is PEN America’s weekly interview series. This week, PEN America’s Prison and Justice Writing summer interns organized the interview answers of the 2021-2022 Writing for Justice Fellows into a rich collective tapestry of advice on writing on sociopolitical issues, including: "remember that you’re capable of communicating your truth better than any one," "study the past, but also envision the future," "ground yourself in your community," and "work out a unique way to say something that matters to people." 

PEN America’s Writing for Justice Fellowship commissions writers—emerging or established—to create written works of lasting merit that illuminate critical issues related to mass incarceration and catalyze public debate. Learn more about this year’s Fellows and their projects and read their responses ››

Amid a flood of crackdowns on human rights organizations and media outlets this week, the Belarusian Justice Ministry moved to shut down PEN America’s sister organization PEN Belarus on Thursday. We stand with the writers of PEN Belarus and are determined to ensure that their vital voices are heard and their rights to express themselves vindicated.