PEN News: September 21, 2011‏

PEN News: September 21, 2011‏

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS In honor of Banned Books Week, we are asking PEN Members to recommend a single banned or challenged book and to tell us how that book has influenced them as writers and readers. [More] SAVE THE DATE September 26: The PEN Women’s Literary Workshop hosts its annual reading and celebration from 6–8:30 p.m. next Monday in the PEN office (address below). The Workshop is accepting new members. Contact Ilsa Gilbert at (212) 242-1641 for more details. November 1: The PEN New Members/New Books Party celebrates new Members and honors those who have had new books published in 2011. [More] BECOME A MEMBER Please help us spread the word: writers can now apply for PEN Membership after the publication of their first book or production of one dramatic work in a professional setting. [Apply for Membership] NOTE: To unsubscribe from our mailing list, please use the links at the bottom of this newsletter. For any other issues, please contact us here.

PEN LITERARY AWARDS Apply to PEN’s 2012 Awards As we celebrate the recipients of PEN’s 2011 Literary Awards, the submissions period for the 2012 Awards is now opening. Beginning October 1, you may nominate colleagues for career awards and submit for PEN’s other awards. For a full list of 2012 Awards and guidelines, visit PEN.org. [More] ADVOCACY Celebrate Banned Books Week Banned Books Week highlights the necessity of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the dangers of censorship. We’ve listed just a few ways for you to get involved. [More] PEN Welcomes First Freedom to Write Fellow Deji Olukotun, a lawyer and writer with extensive international development and advocacy experience, begins a new Ford Foundation–sponsored 18-month fellowship in PEN’s Freedom to Write Program. Olukotun will concentrate on expanding partnerships with PEN centers in countries with acute free expression challenges. [More] THE DAILY PEN AMERICAN Recently at The Daily PEN American: an excerpt and interview with Liao Yiwu, new poetry by Jeffrey Yang, student work from the PEN Readers & Writers Summer Writing Institute, and a story by Annie Proulx. Coming up: readings and talks with Cave Canem poets Giovanni Singleton and Kevin Simmonds and west coast poet Gabrielle Calvocoressi, new poetry by John Yau, work from this year’s Translation Fund grant recipients, and excerpts from the 2011 PEN Literary Awards winners. Liao Yiwu Makes First U.S. Appearance Last week, PEN and The New School welcomed exiled Chinese writer Liao Yiwu in his first visit to the United States In addition to performances and readings of his work, Liao spoke with Philip Gourevitch about his journey from political prisoner to best-selling author. [More] Literary Pub Quiz and Brooklyn Book Festival Wrap Up Last Friday’s Literary Pub Quiz brought together writers, editors, and local book lovers for a battle of wits. PEN kept the questions going on Sunday at the Brooklyn Book Festival with our Literary Loves survey. Thanks to everyone who participated. [More] Susan Bernofsky: Fast Talkers In her first guest-post for The Daily PEN American, translator Susan Bernofsky looks at “information density” and why speakers of certain languages seem to talk faster than others. [More] Zhou Qing: What Kind of God Zhou Qing, author of What Kind of God: A Survey of the Current Safety of China’s Food, recently visited the PEN office from Germany to speak with us about censorship and human rights issues in China. [More] Read Work by Translation Fund Grant Recipients Over the coming weeks, we will be posting excerpts and essays from winners of 2011 PEN Translation Fund grants. The first is from Clarissa Botsford’s translation of Elvira Dones’s novel Sworn Virgin, the story of an Albanian immigrant who must reclaim her womanhood after living for 14 years as a man. [More]

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