PEN America Cancels 2024 Literary Awards Amid Writers' Boycott Over Free Speech Concerns

PEN America, a prominent literary organization dedicated to promoting free expression, has announced the cancellation of its 2024 literary awards ceremony due to a boycott by writers over concerns about the group's stance on free speech. The decision comes in response to an open letter signed by numerous award-winning writers condemning PEN America for its alleged lack of support for Palestinian writers and its response to the ongoing war in Gaza.

The boycott gained momentum as 28 out of 61 nominated authors and translators withdrew their books from consideration, including 9 out of 10 nominees for the prestigious $75,000 PEN/Jean Stein Book Award. The dissenting writers accused PEN America of having a "visible bias against Palestinian writers" and failing to speak out more forcefully against Israel's actions in the conflict.

In an open letter, the writers demanded the resignation of PEN America's CEO, president, and executive committee, stating that they cannot in good faith align with an organization that has shown "blatant disregard of our collective values." The letter also accused PEN America of acting as a "cultural front for American imperialism" and running "interference for an administration aiding and abetting genocide."

PEN America acknowledged the writers' right to follow their conscience but expressed regret that the situation has overshadowed the recognition of outstanding literary works. The organization stated that it respects the writers' choice to withdraw but regrets that the "unprecedented situation" has taken away the spotlight from the "extraordinary work" selected by the judges.

The cancellation of the 2024 awards ceremony reflects growing discontent within the literary community over PEN America's perceived neutrality and failure to strongly condemn Israel's assault on Gaza, which has killed over 34,000 people and fueled a humanitarian crisis. Critics argue that PEN America's statements about the war have been too weak, with over 1,000 writers and others in the literary community signing an open letter demanding that the organization make a stronger public statement against Israel's actions.

Why this matters: The boycott and cancellation of the PEN America Literary Awards highlight the growing tensions within cultural and literary circles over how to address the deeply divisive Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The controversy reflects the challenges faced by organizations like PEN America in navigating complex political issues while upholding their commitment to free expression and supporting writers worldwide.

PEN America has shared the names of the 2024 finalists and winners online and is considering how to allocate the award funds on a case-by-case basis. The estate of Jean Stein has directed PEN America to donate the $75,000 prize money for the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund. PEN America's president, Jennifer Finney Boylan, announced a broad review of the organization's past decade of work to align more closely with its mission and effectively respond to future conflicts. "PEN America is committed to its mission of recognizing and honoring outstanding authors and fos

Key Takeaways

• PEN America cancels 2024 literary awards due to writer boycott over Gaza conflict.
• 28 out of 61 nominated authors withdrew their books, including 9 out of 10 for top award.
• Writers accuse PEN America of bias against Palestinian writers and lack of condemnation of Israel.
• PEN America regrets situation but respects writers' choice, will review past work to align with mission.
• $75,000 prize money for top award to be donated to Palestine Children's Relief Fund.