Writers are under threat. Stand up for them now.

View this email in your browser ([link removed])
[link removed]
Dear Friend,

Just last week, journalists Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov received the Nobel Peace Prize. In the days after the Nobel Committee's announcement in October that Maria and Dmitry would receive the Prize, I interviewed Dmitry, both via phone and in his office in Moscow. He and his colleagues have endured decades of threats, the murder of their colleagues, campaigns of intimidation designed to silence them. Remaining independent and credible amid rising autocracies is an act of courage.
ACT NOW TO SUPPORT WRITERS ([link removed])

Every day, PEN America stands up for writers like Maria and Dmitry. Worldwide, journalists like them report on corruption, murder, self-dealing, and atrocities that governments would rather hide away. Their work is essential to democracy, essential to understanding the world around us. As the Nobel Committee said, freedom of expression is “a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.” At PEN America, we couldn’t agree more.

But there’s no way we can do it without your support. ([link removed]) In just the last year, the number of countries threatening writers and journalists has ballooned. Poets gunned down in the streets of Yangon. An airliner plucked from the skies over Belarus to capture a dissident blogger. Cuban forces surrounding the houses of writers who dare take part in peaceful protests. The mandate is huge, and we are working to keep up.

Help us outpace the autocracies. Donate what you can. I know we’re asking a lot of you this year, but I wouldn’t be writing if I didn’t believe your support could make a real difference for writers like Dmitry and Maria around the world. ([link removed])

Thanks so much,
[link removed]

[link removed]

Masha Gessen
Vice President, PEN America

PS -- In my own reporting I’ve seen how much the support of the global community uplifts writers. Your gift gives them the support they need. ([link removed])
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]

Get More News, Events, and Updates from PEN America › ([link removed])

============================================================

You are receiving this e-mail because you opted in at PEN.org or a PEN America-sponsored event.

** manage subscriptions ([link removed])
| ** unsubscribe ([link removed])
| ** contact us (mailto:[email protected])

Copyright © 2021 PEN America | 588 Broadway Suite 303, New York, NY 10012 USA