Ross Holder
@h0ro.bsky.social
Head of Research, Policy and Advocacy at PEN International | Views own
After Lam Wing-kee was arrested, people would ask him why he stayed in Hong Kong. The bookseller replied: why would I go? Read our obituary
Lam Wing-kee, the bookseller who would not admit defeat
The Hong Kong bookseller died on July 2nd, aged 70
bit.ly
Completely unacceptable. I’m afraid this is a universal problem, not only because of reduction of Chinese language studies, but because translators and interpreters, in many countries, are not paid very well.
Yuen Chan@yuenchan.bsky.social · 2mo agoA shortage of translators and interpreters, cull of modern languages at UK universities, cuts to East Asian studies and Chinese specifically at Sheffield Uni ...
PEN Languages of Russia aims to support ‘independent, anti-authoritarian, anti-war literary figures’ writing in the many languages indigenous to Russia — from Avar to Chuvash to Tatar. Find out more in this compelling interview with Dinara Rasuleva & Sergei Lebedev: novayagazeta.eu/en/articles/...
‘We want to make the invisible visible’. A new initiative aims to challenge the dominance of Russian by supporting literature in the country’s numerous indigenous languages — Novaya Gazeta Europe
PEN Languages of Russia, a new initiative co-founded by Russian writer Sergey Lebedev, aims to support "independent, anti-authoritarian, anti-war literary figures" writing in the many languages indige...
novayagazeta.eu
I'm looking for a part-time research assistant to support an externally funded, international project on the instrumentalization of anticolonial discourse in Asia and beyond. remote work OK but needs to be UK based. durham.taleo.net/careersectio...
Research Assistant/Associate
Click the link provided to see the complete job description.
durham.taleo.net
🚨 Did you hear about the #UN’s liquidity crisis? We’ve compiled how it’s already impacting human rights protection — from fewer country visits to delayed reports and reduced monitoring. 👉 Key impacts: https://ow.ly/OZhW50YYn0O
Absent from China’s new reading campaign for books are the things that would make it a truly valuable exercise: open publishing, diverse formats, intellectual risk
Xi Jinping wants China to read more—as long as it’s the right books
A new campaign to put down phones and pick up classics
econ.st
📣 Today, on World Book Day, we launch Writers Under Siege: Defying Silence. This year’s Case List highlights 140 persecuted writers worldwide—a stark reminder that freedom of expression is under attack, and solidarity matters more than ever. www.pen-international.org/case-list-2026
Writers Under Siege: Defying Silence - PEN International Case List 2026<br/> — PEN International | Promoting Literature & Defending Freedom of Expression Worldwide
Writers Under Siege: Defying Silence - PEN International Case List 2026
pen-international.org
Thank you to everyone who joined today’s launch of Writers Under Siege: Defying Silence – PEN International Case List 2026, and to our four contributors. We heard powerful reflections on solidarity as a lifeline and the many forms it can take across different crises.
📣 Join us on Thursday, 23 April at 13:00 BST for Voices Freed: International Solidarity in a Time of Global Disorder, an online discussion marking the launch of the 2026 Case List. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/voices-fre...
Voices freed: International Solidarity in a Time of Global Disorder
PEN International Case List 2026 launch
eventbrite.co.uk
⏳ Two weeks left for States to submit their candidacies for the NGO Committee. Regional groups can still ensure competitive elections. #ECOSOC #OpenTheDoors2NGOs Find out more: https://ishr.ch/campaigns/ngo-committee-elections/
NGO Committee election - ISHR
Imagine a world where the voices of those with clear demands, expertise and solutions come together to fulfil the promise of the UN Charter. In that world,
ishr.ch
✊ PEN Sydney is one of three PEN centres in Australia, and we need your support. 👉 Visit our website to sign up, follow us on social media, and tell your friends and family about our work, publications, and events. 🌏 pen.org.au/join-us/ #australia #sydney #freespeech #auspol
#Philippines: The last remaining charge against writer and Nobel laureate #MariaRessa may soon be dismissed. PEN International welcomes the recommendation that the Supreme Court acquit her in the cyber libel case. www.pen-international.org/news/philipp...
Philippines: PEN International welcomes recommendation to acquit journalist and Nobel laureate Maria Ressa in cyber libel case — PEN International | Promoting Literature & Defending Freedom of Express...
‘Maria Ressa has shown extraordinary courage in defending independent journalism in the Philippines. The recommendation by the Solicitor General is a significant step toward correcting a case ...
pen-international.org
#Iran: PEN International condemns all breaches of international law amid escalating hostilities across the Middle East and is gravely concerned by mounting civilian casualties in Iran and across the region. Read our full statement ⬇️ www.pen-international.org/news/iran-pe...
Iran: PEN International calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities that undermine international peace and security law — PEN International | Promoting Literature & Defending Freedom of Expression...
‘ We are witnessing grave challenges to world peace and security, with political leaders utterly failing to uphold international law and actively dismantling the rules-based order. The international c...
pen-international.org
#China: Writer and PEN member Zan Aizong has been sentenced to three years in prison after taking part in a peaceful memorial for Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo. PEN International calls for his immediate and unconditional release. Full statement ⬇️ www.pen-international.org/news/china-p...
China: PEN International condemns the sentencing of writer and PEN member Zan Aizong to three years in prison — PEN International | Promoting Literature & Defending Freedom of Expression Worldwide
‘The imprisonment of Zan Aizong for peacefully commemorating the life of Liu Xiaobo underscores China’s continued use of vague criminal charges to silence independent writers and erase collective memo...
pen-international.org
On #WorldNGODay, we celebrate NGOs advancing human rights and accountability. Their voices must be heard at the UN. We’ve signed a joint NGO letter urging ECOSOC Member States to back candidates who protect civil society access. www.pen-international.org/news/interna... #OpenTheDoors2NGOs
International: Over 80 civil society organisations call for fair elections at UN Committee — PEN International | Promoting Literature & Defending Freedom of Expression Worldwide
27 February 2026 : Today, on World NGO Day, PEN International celebrates the vital contributions of NGOs across the globe. From defending the right to freedom of expression to responding to humanitar...
pen-international.org
This week one Russian newspaper referred to “the machine of persecution & punishment” in Russia. “Everything that a few months ago was not just legal, but natural, is being criminalised.” Plus: “the bomb that destroyed the Stalin myth.” #ReadingRussia
Russian newspaper refers to "“the machine of persecution & punishment” in today's Russia
YouTube video by Steve Rosenberg
youtu.be
#UK: We join @indexoncensorship.org and others in urging the UK government to ensure the BBC World Service has the funding it needs to continue its vital work across the globe. Read our joint letter 🔽 www.pen-international.org/news/open-le...
Open letter calling on the UK government to protect BBC World Service funding — PEN International | Promoting Literature & Defending Freedom of Expression Worldwide
23 February 2026: PEN International has joined a coalition of media freedom and journalist organisations in an open letter calling on the UK Government to urgently secure and sustain funding for the...
pen-international.org
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission has dropped a criminal defamation case against Australian writer Murray Hunter in Thailand. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02...
We’ve opened applications for two short residencies for writers in the UK who are currently experiencing displacement. Find out more and apply ⤵️ www.englishpen.org/posts/not-ra...
Open call: two five-day residencies for writers experiencing displacement to the UK - News & Events - English PEN
English PEN open call: two five-day residencies for writers experiencing displacement to the UK
englishpen.org
Malaysia-Thailand: Criminal defamation charges against writer #MurrayHunter have been withdrawn in Thailand following a settlement with Malaysia’s MCMC. His passport has been returned and his Substack restored. ‘I have the freedom to write again'. www.pen-international.org/news/malaysi...
Malaysia-Thailand: Australian writer Murray Hunter targeted in act of transnational repression — PEN International | Promoting Literature & Defending Freedom of Expression Worldwide
‘ As the current ASEAN Chair, the Malaysian government has a responsibility to demonstrate its commitment to human rights, including the right to freedom of expression, across the region. Instead, it ...
pen-international.org
🔴Update: The Chengdu City Public Security Bureau released #LiuHu and #WuYingjiao on bail today, according to a notice issued by the bureau’s Jinjiang District branch, which stated that the investigation is ongoing.
CHRD人权捍卫者网络@chrdnet.bsky.social · 6mo ago🔴 By detaining journalists #LiuHu and #WuYingjiao, the 🇨🇳 govt silences independent reporting—violating its constitutional guarantees of #FreeExpression and international #HumanRights obligations. 👉 www.nchrd.org/2026/02/chin...
China – Hong Kong: A 20-year sentence for #JimmyLai is a chilling act of repression. At 78, after years in solitary confinement and with failing health, this punishment is cruel and unjust. PEN International calls for his immediate release. www.pen-international.org/news/china-h...
China – Hong Kong: Jimmy Lai sentenced to 20 years in prison in a devastating blow to freedom of expression — PEN International | Promoting Literature & Defending Freedom of Expression Worldwide
‘Sentencing Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison is an act of profound cruelty. It is a punishment intended not only to silence one man, but to extinguish independent journalism from Hong Kong. Given Jimmy...
pen-international.org
Jimmy Lai: Response from his children, Sebastien & Claire, & from the international legal team to this predictable but nonetheless disgraceful sentence. Press queries: see contact details here & please direct queries through them. Thank you.
“It has been one year since anyone saw Hada, a Mongolian writer, bookseller, and activist who was disappeared from his hospital bed on February 6, 2025,” writes Erika Nguyen. He is one of many writers who have suffered under the constant repression by the Chinese state. More: pen.org/mongolian-wr...
#Myanmar: For 5 years, the military has attempted to silence a nation through terror, censorship, and brutality, yet it has failed to extinguish the voices of those resisting its rule. This anniversary must serve as a moment of renewed international resolve. www.pen-international.org/news/myanmar...
Myanmar: Five years after the coup, expression remains under attack — PEN International | Promoting Literature & Defending Freedom of Expression Worldwide
“Last month, the Myanmar military attempted to legitimise its rule through a carefully orchestrated electoral process. This so-called election was nothing more than an effort to impose a veneer of leg...
pen-international.org
#Argentina: PEN International raises alarm over escalating attacks on freedom of expression, including legal harassment of journalists and the misuse of state power to silence dissent. Read our full statement ⬇️ www.pen-international.org/news/argenti...
Argentina: Alarm over government’s ongoing efforts to undermine freedom of expression — PEN International | Promoting Literature & Defending Freedom of Expression Worldwide
“ When a government turns criticism into an enemy and journalism into a target, it does not only attack those who inform; it deliberately weakens the fundamental rights of society as a whole. ” Burhan...
pen-international.org
"Even though a settlement has now been reached, the case illustrates how legal systems can be weaponised to intimidate journalists beyond national borders," — Michael Altman Rosen-Lupu, Head of Asia-Pacific at PEN International Read this article from ABC Australia ⬇️ www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
Australian retiree's detention in Thailand a warning, lawyer says
Rights groups slam Thai authorities' detention and legal proceedings against Australian writer Murray Hunter, after Malaysia's communications regulator submitted a criminal defamation complaint.
abc.net.au
🚨 #Malaysia #Thailand: We welcome the recent settlement for Australian writer Murray Hunter, but his case remains a stark example of a transnational SLAPP involving civil defamation in Malaysia and criminal defamation in Thailand. Read more ⬇️ www.pen-international.org/news/malaysi...
Malaysia-Thailand: Australian writer Murray Hunter targeted in act of transnational repression — PEN International | Promoting Literature & Defending Freedom of Expression Worldwide
‘ As the current ASEAN Chair, the Malaysian government has a responsibility to demonstrate its commitment to human rights, including the right to freedom of expression, across the region. Instead, it ...
pen-international.org
#Iran: We are deeply concerned by the deadly crackdown on protests amid internet blackouts and unlawful force. We call for an end to these violations and for the rights to peaceful assembly and free expression to be respected. Read our full statement ⬇️ www.pen-international.org/news/iran-au...
Iran: Authorities must end brutal crackdown on protests and internet shutdowns — PEN International | Promoting Literature & Defending Freedom of Expression Worldwide
“We are horrified to see such a deadly response to people’s legitimate demands for better economic conditions. Iranian authorities have systematically stifled and repressed dissent over the years. We ...
pen-international.org
