The American edition of Moby-Dick hit shelves for the first time on November 14, 1851. 175 years later, readers — including authors Henry Winciek, PEN America President Phil Klay, and Julian Brave NoiseCat — are still talking about it. Have you read it? Is it on your TBR? Tell us in the comments.

In this week’s PEN Ten, we speak with @samanthapaigerosen.bsky.social, author of Living, Together (out now from @beaconpress.bsky.social). Rosen discusses finding collaborators and advice for readers wishing for community. Read more: pen.org/samantha-pai...

New rules could give feds leverage over speech on Indiana campuses. It’s a major change for the way colleges and universities are held accountable, said Amy Reid, program director for Freedom to Learn at PEN America. www.ipm.org/news/2026-11...

New rules could give feds leverage over speech on Indiana campuses

Accrediting agencies now have to evaluate how Indiana schools apply the state’s “intellectual diversity” law, which affects what faculty teach.

ipm.org

November 15th is Day of the Imprisoned Writer. Learn about imprisoned writers around the world and spend some time with their work: https://pen.org/why-governments-try-to-silence-writers/ #DayOfTheImprisonedWriter

Writing Is Powerful. That’s Why Governments Try to Silence Writers

As we mark the Day of the Imprisoned Writer 2026, we encourage everyone to read the work of writers imprisoned around the world.

pen.org

“Bias training.” “Carbon neutrality.” “Black voices.” “Feminist.” What do these words and phrases all have in common? According to our research, they’re among the 900+ unique words or phrases that federal agencies have banned or flagged for review. See them all: pen.org/banned-words...

USA Today reports on the growing integration of AI into school library reviews. As we said in our October 2026 report on school book bans, the practice is worsening “the snowball effect of book bans that has already gone much too far.” www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

Join us virtually to celebrate the 2026 PEN America Emerging Voices Fellows, who will read together as the culmination of their fellowship. Tickets are free. Reserve now at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-2026-emerging-voices-fellowship-a-literary-debut-tickets-2003778604747

From high workloads to increased safety risks, many journalists face burnout and mental health effects through elections. If you’re a journalist interested in tending to your well-being post-midterms, join our upcoming webinar with @mdrnetorg.bsky.social on Nov. 17. Register: pen.org/event/emotio...

Emotional Management and Stress Regulation After the Midterms

The intensity and uncertainty of covering a high-stakes election can take a toll on journalists’ emotional and physical well-being.

pen.org

PEN America, along with bestselling authors, are sounding the alarm today about a proposed restrictive policy in Arkansas that would severely limit minors’ access to books in public libraries. pen.org/press-releas...

Proposed Arkansas Public Library Policy May Severely Limit Local Access to Books for Youth 16 and Under

PEN America, along with bestselling authors, are sounding the alarm today about a proposed restrictive policy in Arkansas that would severely limit minors’ access to books in public libraries.

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PEN America has joined Florida organizations and literary advocates in calling on Commissioner of Education Henry Mack and Florida superintendents to withdraw the Department of Education’s September 23 directive on school library and classroom materials.

We asked President of PEN America and U.S. Marine Corps veteran @philklay.bsky.social what kinds of stories from the military community he wants to see more of in the world today. Here’s what he told us. #VeteransDay

November 12 in NYC: PEN America and P&T Knitwear will host authors Joseph Osmundson, Jamilah Lemieux, and Cat Fitzpatrick for a discussion moderated by Adriana Ladouceur about modern families. Get your tickets here: : pen.org/event/modern...

Our new report with PEN Ukraine maps the repression of Crimean Tatar culture and language under Russia’s physical and digital occupation. For Crimean Tatars who fought to return and rebuild after the 1944 deportation, the result is to become strangers in their own home. pen.org/report/crime...

The Freedom to Read is bedrock to a vibrant democracy and society. Efforts to censor books in schools and libraries have affected hundreds of schools and communities. Book banning is unpopular. Our focus on defending and extending the freedom to read is as stronger as ever.

PEN America has some intriguing, enthralling, and inspirational events lined up for November 2026! We hope you'll join us, either in-person in New York or Florida, or online, for at least one of them. And get details of all our upcoming events, this month and year-round at: https://pen.org/events/

If you missed our event at P&T Knitwear with beloved romance authors Kristina Forest and Tia Williams, don’t fret! You can catch up on the panel at https://pen.org/tia-williams-and-kristina-forest/ ... Meanwhile, learn some of Kristina Forest's top book recommendations right here. #authors #books

PEN America has joined more than a dozen civil society groups and 50 First Amendment scholars to call on FCC Chair Brendan Carr to stop threatening enforcement actions for news coverage he dislikes or starting early licensing renewal in retaliation for disfavored speech.

We join @pressfreedom.bsky.social in urging the Chinese authorities to release writer, journalist, and former @niemanfoundation.bsky.social fellow Dong Yuyu on humanitarian grounds. Since being ordered back to prison labor following his lung tumor surgery, his health has continued to decline.

Committee to Protect Journalists@pressfreedom.bsky.social · 2w ago

CPJ calls on Chinese authorities to immediately release veteran journalist Dong Yuyu instead of ordering him to carry out prison labor weeks after lung surgery to remove a cancerous tumor. Read more⤵️ cpj.org/2026/11/chin...

Novaya Gazeta is shutting down. But a new archival project from Kronika grants it electronic immortality. By @joelsimonsays.bsky.social. www.cjr.org/analysis/nov...

Novaya Gazeta’s journalism will live on.

The paper is shutting down. But a new project grants it electronic immortality.

cjr.org

PEN America welcomes a new report from @defendresearch.bsky.social and Research Consulting, From anecdote to evidence: Mapping the impact of US government action on public health research, analyzing the patterns of government censorship at all levels. Read more here: dx.doi.org/10.26303/68s...

From anecdote to evidence: Mapping the impact of US government action on public health research – Kudos: Growing the influence of research

October 27, 2026 Report finds threats at every level of the research system, from tampering with the research record to conditioning funding and policing what researchers can say, and sets out recomm...

dx.doi.org

#Türkiye: Honorary PEN member Selahattin Demirtaş has been wrongfully detained for 10 years. It is past time the authorities #FreeDemirtaş from his politically motivated and cruel detention. Read our full statement ➡️ www.pen-international.org/news/release...

Türkiye: Release Selahattin Demirtaş after 10 years of wrongful imprisonment   — PEN International | Promoting Literature & Defending Freedom of Expression Worldwide

‘Today marks a particularly painful anniversary: honorary PEN member Selahattin Demirtaş has been wrongfully held behind bars in Türkiye for 10 years, merely for peacefully exercising his fundamental ...

pen-international.org

On Oct. 19, PEN America and P&T Knitwear hosted seven publishing experts, including authors @profsue123.bsky.social and Stacy Kim, for ‘How Three Pages Can Change Your Life,’ where they discussed advice for emerging writers, such as how to pitch a story to editors. Read more: pen.org/dos-and-dont...

7 Experts on Do’s and Don’ts for Writers Looking to Be Published

Seven publishing experts give their best advice on how to pitch work to agents, editors, and publishers. Here are their Dos and Don'ts.

pen.org

California journalists, if you’re going to be covering the election today and you’re unsure of your access rights in the state, check out First Amendment Coalition's Reporter’s Field Guide.

First Amendment Coalition@facoalition.bsky.social · 2w ago

CA reporters, as you hit polling places today and tomorrow, take our indispensable Reporter's Field Guide: Election Day Access with you. It explains reporters' access rights (and limitations) on and around Election Day: firstamendmentcoalition.org/handbook/rep...

PEN America joined a coalition in urging FCC Chairman Brendan Carr to stop threatening broadcasters over reporting on political polls. We make clear the FCC has no authority to dictate editorial decisions or use government threats to suppress coverage it disfavors. techfreedom.org/wp-content/u...

New restrictions at Texas Tech are changing what professors can teach, reports NPR. Says PEN America's Amy Reid, laws that cause preemptive censorship are: "a design principle, not a design flaw." https://www.npr.org/2026/11/03/nx-s1-5963883/texas-tech-academic-sb17-odyssey #Censorship #TexasTech

Exercise Your Free Speech: Vote on Nov. 3! For over 100 years, PEN America has championed free expression for everyone. Make your voice heard: Vote on Tuesday, November 3. And show your support for the freedom to read with our pro-voting merch, at: https://www.bonfire.com/get-out-the-reading-vote/

Celebrate #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth with 50+ recommended reads from PEN staff. From memoirs to supernatural horror to poetry, find the next book on your TBR: https://bookshop.org/lists/2026-native-american-heritage-month-list

2026 Native American Heritage Month List

In honor of Native American Heritage Month, explore novels, poetry, memoir, history, and picture books by Native and Indigenous authors. Our list of 50+ titles include exciting new releases like Steph...

bookshop.org

Congratulations to the recipients of this year’s @penamerica.bsky.social Literary Grants! Collectively the grants provide $90,000 to support 16 recipients from more than a dozen countries. pen.org/2027-literar...

Announcing the 2027 PEN America Literary Grant Winners

PEN America is delighted to announce the 2027 Literary Grant winners, whose works in progress show potential for lasting literary impact.

pen.org

Grateful for the opportunity to chat and share more about our work, with our friends at @penamerica.bsky.social.

PEN America@penamerica.bsky.social · 2w ago

PEN America spoke with Anne Russey and Laney Hawes, co-directors of @txfreedomread.bsky.social. The two discussed recent legislation in a state where more than 8,000 books were banned in the last school year. Read the full interview, and learn how you can get involved: pen.org/texas-freedo...

Is censorship scarier than ghouls, goblins, and ghosts? Before our recent event at P&T Knitwear, authors Intan Paramaditha and @mathildazeller.bsky.social and moderator @starrysteph.bsky.social talked about the rise in book banning (boo!) and how we can all do our part to advance the right to read.