PEN Slovenia, in cooperation with the PEN International Writers for Peace Committee, will organise the 58th International Writers’ Meeting in Bled, Slovenia, taking place from 13 to 16 April 2026. 

The meeting will centre on the PEN International Writers for Peace Committee, whose General Assembly will be held on 14 April 2026 (9.00–17.00 CET) at Hotel Park, Bled, in a hybrid format, allowing both in-person and online participation. 

The public programme will take place on 15 April in Sežana, the birthplace of Slovenian poet Srečko Kosovel, and will feature public round tables and discussions. The final day, 16 April, will focus on young voices and the centenary of Slovene PEN, with events held at the National and University Library in Ljubljana. The 13th Faces of Peace Festival will take place on 15–16 April 2026. 

Programme overview 
• 13 April – Arrival of delegates (Bled) 
• 14 April – Writers for Peace Committee General Assembly; evening opening ceremony and reception (Bled) 
• 15 April – Round tables in Sežana: Never Again – Memory in Literature; AI – Erasure or Redesign of Humanity?; evening literary-musical event 
• 16 April – Morning in Bled; afternoon transfer to Ljubljana; round table Young Voices Across Borders: Literature as Activism 
• 17 April – Departure of delegates 

Round table themes 
• Never Again – Memory in Literature: literature as witness to past and present atrocities, resistance to war, memory, identity, and the power of words against violence. 
• AI – Erasure or Redesign of Humanity?: artificial intelligence, power, democracy, freedom of expression, and the future of the human voice in literature. 
• Young Voices Across Borders: Literature as Activism: literary activism, freedom of expression in the digital age, multilingualism, and international collaboration among young writers. 

A Bled Meeting Anthology 2026 will be published. Written contributions (maximum 4,000 characters including spaces) are welcome in English, French, Spanish, or Slovenian, in any literary form related to the three themes. Deadline: 1 March 2026. 

The registration fee (without accommodation) is €250, covering catering, local travel during the meeting, conference materials, and organisational costs. Online participation is free of charge. Special accommodation rates have been secured at Hotel Park, Bled. 

Registration and hotel booking will close on 15 March 2026 (online only). 

The meeting will be held under the honorary patronage of H.E. Mrs Urška Klakočar Zupančič, President of the Parliament of the Republic of Slovenia. Further programme details will follow soon. 

We look forward to welcoming you in Bled or online. 

Germán Rojas 
Chair, PEN International Writers for Peace Committee 
Vice-President, PEN Chile 

Tanja Tuma 
President, Slovene PEN 
Vice-Chair, PEN International Board 

Neja Repe 
Coordinator, Slovene PEN Office 

Español

Français

A statement by the Writers for Peace Committee of PEN International for Human Rights Day 2025

10 December 2025: Every year on 10 December, the world marks Human Rights Day, commemorating the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. Seventy-seven years later, that promise is frayed but not broken. As we approach the end of 2025, more than sixty wars and armed conflicts are raging across the globe, driving millions from their homes, eroding the rule of law, and normalising a reality in which mass atrocities are livestreamed, archived and forgotten in the same digital gesture.

We, the Writers for Peace Committee of PEN International, speak from and to this world.

We speak against the deliberate targeting of civilians, the bombing of schools and hospitals, and the use of starvation and siege as weapons of war. We speak against ethnic cleansing and genocidal violence; against the criminalisation of dissent; against the persecution, imprisonment and murder of writers, journalists and artists who dare to testify. We speak against gender-based violence and inequality, and all forms of marginalisation based on race, religion, language, disability, or sexual orientation, and gender identity.

We speak also against the quieter architectures of harm:
against the weaponisation of poverty and debt;
against extractive economic policies that keep whole regions precarious;
against digital platforms that amplify hatred and lies faster than a poem can travel;
against corporate and political actors who treat truth as a negotiable commodity.

Yet we insist: this is not fate.

Human beings created these systems; human beings can unmake and remake them.
We believe that humanity still has the power to resist the repetition of its own violent history. We stand together with the next generation to imagine – and to enact – a world that recognises and defends human rights for all.

We know. But how can we act?

As writers, we work with the most fragile and the most enduring material: language. We search for words, for stories, for poetry and prose that keep alive the truth that every human life is singular and irreplaceable. We know that literature alone cannot stop a bomb, but it can refuse the vocabulary that makes bombing thinkable. It can slow down the speed of hatred. It can build, line by line, a memory that resists erasure.

And yet our words are often drowned out by the noise of propaganda and polarisation. In the words of Margaret Atwood, “War is what happens when language fails.” When vocabulary collapses into slogans, when people are reduced to categories, when nuance is denounced as betrayal, the road to violence becomes frighteningly short.

Are we going to give in to apathy rather than confronting it with empathy?
No, we will not.

We reaffirm our commitment to defend those who are persecuted for their words, their silences and their refusals. We reaffirm the right to freedom of expression and the right to receive information – rights that are not luxuries of peace, but essential conditions for any genuine peace to exist.

However, on this Human Rights Day 2025, we insist: words must be joined by deeds.

We therefore call on governments and international institutions:

• to immediately cease the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and to uphold without exception the principles of international humanitarian law;

• to ensure the safe and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in need;

• to guarantee the protection of writers, journalists, artists, and cultural workers in all war and conflict zones, including through emergency visas, safe corridors, and shelter programmes;

• to end the use of starvation, forced displacement and collective punishment as tools of war and political control;

• to support independent courts and mechanisms of international justice capable of investigating and prosecuting war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, regardless of the identity or political alliances of the perpetrators;

• to allow and protect local and international journalists to safely report from conflict and war zones, and to adequately fund independent media, public broadcasting and cultural institutions, which are essential defences against authoritarianism and disinformation.

We call on technology companies and media platforms:

• to stop profiting from the algorithmic amplification of hate speech, incitement to violence, and disinformation, and to subject their systems to independent democratic oversight;

• to protect users who are at particular risk, including writers, journalists, human rights defenders, and minority communities, from targeted harassment, coordinated disinformation campaigns, and digital surveillance.

We call on the arms industry and the states that license it:

• to recognise that every contract signed in comfort reverberates in the ruins of cities and villages, and

• to move towards binding international limits on the trade and export of weapons to parties involved in grave human rights violations.

We call on our fellow writers, readers, and citizens everywhere:

• to refuse the language of dehumanisation,

• to amplify silenced voices,

• to support organisations that protect those at risk,

• to turn private despair into public solidarity.

Peace is not only the absence of conflict written into a treaty and filed away.
It is a daily practice of justice, accountability, memory, and imagination.

As Slovenian poet Boris A. Novak writes, “Freedom is a verb.”
We paraphrase: Peace is a verb. It is something we do, or it does not exist.

On this Human Rights Day 2025, we commit ourselves once again:
to watch and to witness,
to speak and to listen,
to remember and to resist.

Peace is a verb.
Peace is a must.
Peace now.

PEN International Writers for Peace Committee 

Proposed by the Writers for Peace Committee at the PEN International 91st Congress, Kraków,

The resolution highlights the global rise of authoritarianism, disinformation, and inequality, which are eroding democracy, human rights, and international law. Vulnerable groups are most at risk, while writers and journalists are persecuted for speaking out. It condemns the failure – of the international community -- to stop the genocide in Gaza, the deliberate weakening and corrosion of multilateral institutions, and use of divisive narratives – driven by populist agendas -- to migration. Writers and PEN Centres are urged to defend facts, propel empathy, and hold governments accountable, while governments are called on to contribute to and strengthen multilateral dialogue and uphold freedom of expression. The resolution affirms that democracy and peace are fragile and must be actively defended, with writers playing a vital role in inspiring justice and unity. 

Available in English/ Français/ Español

“Writers have the power to build bridges where walls divide. Through dialogue, reflection, and storytelling, the Writers for Peace Committee seeks to strengthen understanding, confront intolerance, and defend the right to free expression, to foster a world where peace prevails.” Germán Rojas, Chair of PEN International Writers for Peace Committee. 

The Writers for Peace Committee (WfPC) connects literature and human rights, providing a forum for writers to address conflict and social division. Established in 1984 on the initiative of Slovene writer Miloš Mikeln, and based at Slovene PEN, the Committee was created to bridge divides during the Cold War. Today, it continues to be a platform for promoting intercultural dialogue, peace, tolerance, and freedom of expression, as well as for supporting writers in war and conflict zones. All PEN Centres are automatically part of the Committee by virtue of their affiliation with PEN International. 

A history of courage and dialogue 

The WfPC’s roots are linked with Slovene PEN, founded in 1926, which, from the heart of central Europe, worked to defend persecuted writers and oppose fascism in the 1930s. Following a pause during World War II, the Centre resumed activities in 1962 and in 1965 hosted PEN International Congress in the town of Bled. That Congress made it possible to start the practice of meetings in Bled from 1968 to the present day. 

The Committee was officially founded at PEN International Congress in Tokyo in 1984, when the world was separated into two irreconcilable political blocks (the United States and the Soviet Union). From the start, the WfPC championed freedom of information and dialogue, providing an open space—like Bled during the 1990s Yugoslav wars, where the role of Slovenian writer Boris A. Novak was crucial—for writers of all sides to express solidarity and exchange views. It also offered humanitarian aid, including financial support, shelter, and legal help, reaching hundreds of writers and artists in conflict zones. Over the decades, it has brought together writers from all over the world and from different cultures, beliefs, religions, and political ideas. 

Mission and mandate 

At the heart of the WfPC’s mission is the belief that freedom of expression and peace are inseparable. By connecting writers across regions, the Committee draws attention to threats to free speech, advocates for human rights, and celebrates literature as a tool for fostering dialogue and reconciliation. Its work is in line with the United Nations’ Resolution 71/189 on the Right to Peace (2016), which recognises the right of peoples to peace.  

Topics discussed by the Committee include hate speech, migration, populism, violence, and other threats to democracy, as well as the prevention of armed conflict. The Committee also emphasises the importance of cultural heritage: attacks on historical memory or artistic expression are treated as crimes against humanity, and it advocates for the protection of endangered cultural sites. In addition, it addresses gender and environmental issues across its activities and projects.  

The WfPC collaborates with other PEN International Committees to ensure a coordinated response during crises.  

Main statements 

In recent years, the WfPC has drafted statements and declarations addressing urgent global upheavals.  

In 2025, it marked Human Rights Day (10 December) with a dedicated statement, and presented the draft text of the resolution “The present international disorder and breakdown of peace – The role of writers” which was approved by PEN International at its 91st Congress in Krakow. In 2024 it addressed the conflict in the Balkans and in 2023, it issued a statement on the disputed territory of Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh  and the Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine. Prior to this, it released statements on Gaza and other areas affected by war, conflict and unrest. In 2018, it published its Bled Manifesto, asserting peace as a universal human right. Each initiative reflects the Committee’s commitment to literature, human rights, and peacebuilding, showing how writers can play a vital role in shaping societies free from oppression. 

A legacy of dialogue 

From its earliest meetings across the Iron Curtain to its humanitarian campaigns during the Yugoslav wars and its work addressing global wars and conflicts today, the WfPC exemplifies the power of literature to foster dialogue, bridge divides, and defend human dignity. At a time when populism, nationalism, and violence threaten to silence voices, the Committee remains a steadfast advocate for writers and for the principles of peace, tolerance, and freedom of expression. 

Note to editors:  

• For media queries contact Sabrina Tucci, Head of Communications and Campaigns at PEN International  Sabrina.Tucci@pen-international.org   

• To find out more, visit the WfPC’s website or contact Germán Rojas, Chair of the WfPC at german.rojas@pen-international.org  

“At a time when so many voices risk being silenced, our Committee works to ensure that every language has the space to thrive. Protecting linguistic rights is not only about preserving heritage — it is about safeguarding dignity, diversity, and the freedom to imagine in one’s own words.” Urtzi Urrutikoetxea, Chair of PEN International Translation and Linguistic Rights Committee  

In a world where thousands of languages are at risk, defending linguistic rights has never been more urgent. PEN International Translation and Linguistic Rights Committee (TLCR) stands at the centre of one of the most important struggles of our time: ensuring that all languages — and the people who speak, write, and dream in them — can flourish. 

The Committee’s mission is rooted in the belief that translation is more than a literary act; it is an act of solidarity. When a language is marginalised, its stories and people risk disappearing. Translation offers a bridge, carrying those voices into new spaces, widening their reach. 

A history of championing translation 

Although the TLCR was officially created in 1978 during PEN International 43rd Congress in Stockholm, its commitment to translation began much earlier. As far back as 1928, PEN collaborated with the International Institute of Intellectual Co-operation, a League of Nations body, to promote translations across borders. PEN Centres identified works deserving translation, which the Institute then shared with publishers worldwide. A Geneva meeting in July 1928, attended by figures such as John Galsworthy and Salvador de Madariaga, formally approved the arrangement. 

The creation of the TLCR  

By 1978, this vision had grown into a formal structure dedicated to translation. That year, under the global presidency of Mario Vargas Llosa, Swedish PEN used the Stockholm Congress to draw attention to the essential role of translators. Per Wästberg, then president of Swedish PEN, put together a coalition of PEN Centres to broaden access to world literature. Originally known as the Programme and Translation Committee, its first aim was simple yet radical: to champion translation from all literary traditions, especially those with little international presence. The Committee supported anthologies bringing lesser-translated voices into dialogue — for example collaborations between Portuguese and Catalan poets or Macedonian and French poets.  

 From “small” to “minoritised” languages 

One of the Committee’s key contributions has been to challenge the idea of “small languages” and advancing the concept of “minoritised languages” — languages marginalised by political, economic, and cultural forces. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, under the leadership of Portuguese poet Ana Hatherly, the Committee sharpened its focus on cultural rights. With strong support from several PEN Centres, it affirmed that translation cannot be separated from defending linguistic communities. This led to the Committee’s current name: the Translation and Linguistic Rights Committee.  

The World Conference on Linguistic Rights 

This mission culminated in 1996, when 61 NGOs, 41 PEN Centres, and 40 experts gathered in Barcelona for the World Conference on Linguistic Rights. Organised by the Committee in partnership with the International Escarré Centre for Ethnic Minorities and Nations and with UNESCO’s support, the event aimed to create a global framework to protect linguistic rights. 

Over three days, experts, activists, and writers drafted the Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights (UDLR). Its scientific council, chaired by linguist Isidor Marí, warned that up to 80% of the world’s languages could disappear within the twenty-first century. The Declaration set out principles for linguistic justice and cultural coexistence and was formally approved at the University of Barcelona, with delegates from every continent signing it. UNESCO received the document a month later. 

Building on the UDLR 

Fifteen years later, the Girona Manifesto (2011) and the Quebec Declaration on Literary Translation and Translators (2015) continued to advance linguistic and translation rights. The Committee has also held meetings outside Europe, including Johannesburg (2016), Bengaluru (2017), and San Cristóbal de las Casas (2019), where the first Indigenous PEN Centre joined the PEN family (PEN Chiapas Pluricultural). The COVID-19 pandemic inspired the launch of the Video-Poem Marathon in Indigenous and Minoritised languages, further supporting their visibility. Since then, more Indigenous writers and their languages are represented, and the anthology Lenguas Vivas, featuring 26 authors in Indigenous languages of Latin America, has become a milestone in PEN International’s history. 

A legacy that matters  

From its earliest years, the TLCR has defended linguistic diversity, promoted translation, and upheld the rights of communities whose languages are endangered or overlooked. At a time when globalisation threatens to flatten cultures, the Committee reminds us that every language carries its own worldview and that every worldview is essential to humanity.  

Note to editors: 

• For media queries contact Sabrina Tucci, Head of Communications and Campaigns at PEN International  

• To find out more about the TLCR, read our History of the TLRC 

Call for Submissions — Deadline: 14 February 2026 

To mark International Mother Language Day on 21 February 2026, PEN International’s Translation and Linguistic Rights Committee invites writers, poets, storytellers, and language advocates to take part in its 6th Video-Poem Marathon. 

This global initiative celebrates linguistic diversity and brings visibility to Indigenous and Minoritised languages that are too often ignored or endangered. Every video-poem — however small — helps revitalise a language and has a positive, empowering impact on its linguistic community. Seeing these languages alongside many others, whether widely spoken or at risk, reminds us of their value and strengthens our collective sense of identity.  

What to submit 

• Video: A video of the poet reading or reciting their poem in the original language only 

• Length: 30 seconds to 1 minute (maximum 1:30) 

• Format: Horizontal (panoramic) format (1920 × 1080), keeping the frame wide with space on either side, and look directly into the camera 

• Editing: No editing or post-production — simply the poet and the poem 

• Audio: Clear audio is essential  

What to include (as attachments) 

• A text file with the poem and its translation(s) 

• Two columns side by side (original + translation) 

• If the poem uses a non-Latin script, add a third column with a transcription 

• A short context note (maximum 250 characters) about the language or community 

How to send 

1. Upload your video (Drive, WeTransfer, Dropbox, etc.) 

1. Email the link to: pen.tlrc@gmail.com  

Be part of a growing movement 

More than 250 poems in over 140 languages have been featured in past editions. 
Help us continue expanding this vibrant chorus of voices. 

Deadline: 14 February 2026 (earlier submissions are very welcome). 

Ratified by the Assembly of Delegates of PEN International at its 91st Congress in Krakow, Poland, 2–5 September 2025

Preamble

 PEN International, guided by its Charter and our commitment to defend freedom of expression, affirms the unconditional need to respect, protect, and uphold this right for all people, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression. In light of increasing global hostility toward gender-diverse and transgender individuals, and in alignment with the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda established under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, this resolution affirms PEN’s unwavering support for the protection of the rights, dignity, and creative freedom of LGBTQIA+ individuals, particularly in situations of conflict, displacement, and repression.

Context

 GENDER LANDSCAPE 

Many governments around the world define, or have moved to redefine, sex as strictly male or female and fixed at birth, undermining protections for transgender and gender-diverse individuals. In addition, the landscape of women’s rights around the world is becoming bleaker and bleaker. Court rulings that define womanhood narrowly through biological determinism, as in recent cases in the United States, Hungary, and the United Kingdom, strip gender-diverse individuals of basic legal recognition, though often presented as efforts to “protect women’s rights.” Such rulings may serve instead to turn feminist language against already vulnerable communities and undermine both trans rights and the broader goals of gender justice.

 For example, the United States, historically a beacon of freedom, has experienced significant and rapid changes since 2022, marked by sharp policy reversals between administrations and a highly polarized national debate. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, especially those benefiting women of color and LGBTQIA+ individuals, are being targeted for elimination in the United States both domestically and its foreign policy efforts.

 In both democratic and authoritarian states, legislative bans on gender-affirming healthcare, education, and legal recognition are proliferating. Rising levels of misinformation, hate speech, and even physical violence disproportionately target trans and non-binary people. 

 In regions affected by conflict and political instability, gender-diverse individuals face heightened risks of violence, displacement, and exclusion from humanitarian response systems. Transgender women, in particular, are often denied access to gendered services or misclassified in ways that endanger their safety. 

Freedom of Expression and the LGBTQIA+ and Gender-Diverse Community

 Freedom of expression includes the right to self-identify, to narrate one’s own experience, and to participate fully in public discourse irrespective of gender identity. LGBTQIA+ writers, poets, journalists, and artists have often been at the forefront of movements for liberation, equity, and peace, often at great personal risk.

 In conflict zones, trans people are frequently targeted for violence by state and non-state actors alike, silenced by censorship, and excluded from peace processes. According to a 2021 report by OutRight International, trans individuals in armed conflict face extreme vulnerability, including “targeted killings, sexual violence, and systemic erasure in peacebuilding processes.” Therefore, their absence from media and literary landscapes is a result of structural and political exclusion.

 Where transgender voices are erased, society is diminished. The literary and journalistic contributions of gender-diverse individuals are essential to the richness of public discourse. By definition, they are among the first to expose injustice, challenge power, and offer transformative visions of justice, peace, and equality. 

Our Commitments

 PEN International affirms that:

1. LGBTQIA+, transgender, and gender-diverse people are entitled to full protection of the right to freedom of expression, as stated in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and internationally recognized human rights standards related to gender identity.

2. Freedom of expression cannot be divorced from gender justice.Censorship, persecution, and exclusion of transgender voices are forms of structural violence that violate both human rights law and the UN’s WPS agenda’s commitment to inclusive participation in peace and public life.

3. PEN International’s agenda must be expanded to protect all LGBTQIA+ writers affected by conflict, displacement, and state repression. This includes access to safe platforms for expression, culturally appropriate humanitarian aid, and meaningful participation in peacebuilding processes.

4. PEN International acknowledges the dangers involved for many PEN Centres in supporting this Resolution. We encourage PEN Centres to seek ways to safely support LGBTQIA+,  transgender, and gender-diverse writers, taking into account the specific circumstances of their own countries. This includes offering residencies, translation, emergency support, and publishing opportunities.

5. PEN International will work with global partners on monitoring and reporting violations of freedom of expression affecting LGBTQIA+ communities, including in fragile and conflict-affected settings, and will advocate for policy changes that reflect the interdependence of gender identity, sexual orientation, peace, and expression.

Conclusion

PEN’s advocacy is grounded in universal human rights, not in any particular political ideology. This resolution is firmly rooted in the fundamental principles of freedom, justice, and equal access to literary and creative expression.

At a time when transgender rights are being curtailed under the guise of cultural or legal neutrality, PEN International stands firmly in solidarity with LGBTQIA+, transgender, and gender-diverse writers around the world.

True freedom of expression is only possible when all voices, especially those most marginalised, can speak, write, and live without fear.

We call on our member Centres, civil society allies, and international institutions to recognise that the rights of LGBTQIA+, transgender, and gender-diverse people are not a secondary concern, but indispensable to the future of “one humanity living in peace and equality in one world.”

References:

UN General Assembly (1948) Universal Declaration of Human Rights. United Nations. Available at: https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights

UN Human Rights Council (2007) Yogyakarta Principles: Principles on the application of international human rights law in relation to sexual orientation and gender identity. Available at: https://yogyakartaprinciples.org/

UN Women (2022) A Feminist Agenda for Peace and Security. United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. Available at: https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/in-focus/2022/10/in-focus-women-peace-and-security

UN Security Council (2000) Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, S/RES/1325. Available at: https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N00/720/18/PDF/N0072018.pdf

Know Her Words is a PEN International Women Writers Committee Initiative to celebrate the best women’s writing from around the world.

We invite all our PEN Centres to share the titles of the best books written by the women of their country.

This project will generate a global selection of works by women, offering a curated list from which to select extraordinary writing by women to encourage cross-cultural understanding and appreciation of the issues, stories, and imaginative breadth of each other’s places.

It is our hope that from this seed list, we may inspire the creation of intra-and cross-Centre Book Clubs, further Reading Lists, Author presentations—and more!

Instructions
Submission is open exclusively to members of PEN Centres.

1. With members from your PEN Centre or its WWC, nominate 10 works by women that you consider excellent.

2. Provide author, title, a very brief synopsis (2 or three sentences), genre, the year the work was published, photo of the author (if available), a cover image (if available) and where possible a place from which it can be obtained – i.e. Amazon, a publisher’s page, or an author’s page.

3. Send this information to Sarita Jenamani, the director of Know Her Words: saritajenamani@yahoo.com

These lists will be aggregated and available on the PEN WWC website. Please know, this is just a beginning – there will be an opportunity in the future to add more titles.

Recommended Books from Region (A-Z)

• Argentina

  • Crime Novels with Argentinians , Luisa Valenzuela, Tierra Firme Publishing

  • House, 2010, novelThe Supernatural Adventure ,  Esther Cross, Seix Barral Publishing House, 2023, essay/fictional

  • The Wind That Sweeps Away , Selva Almada, Random House, 2012, novel

  • The Adventures of China Iron , Gabriela Cabezón Cámara, Random House, 2019, novel

  • Rescue Distance , Samanta Schweblin, Random House, 2014, novel

  • The Things We Lost in the Fire , Mariana Enriquez, Anagrama, 2016, short stories

  • Death as a Side Effect , Ana María Shua, Sudamericana Publishing House, 1997, novel

  • The Russian Doll , Alicia Dujovne Ortiz, Alfaguara, 2011, novel

  • Not Many People Like This Tranquility , María Teresa Andrueto, Random House, 2013, short stories

  • Winter Fury , Perla Suez, Edhasa Publishing House, 2019, novel

• Brazil

  • Carolina de Jesus – “Quarto de despejo (1960)

  • Rachel de Queiroz – “O Quinze” (1930)

  • Cecília Meireles – “Romanceiro da Inconfidência” (1953)

  • Clarice Lispector – “A hora da Estrela” (1977)

  • Lygia Fagundes Teles – “As meninas ” (1973)

  • Ana Miranda – “Boca do Inferno” (1989).

  • Cora Coralina: O poema dos becos de Goias e estórias mais. (1965)

  • Lia Luft: A asa esquerda do anjo (1981)
    

  • Nísia Floresta: Direito das mulheres e injustiça dos homens (1832)
    

  • Mary Del Priore:Beije-me onde o sol não alcança (2015)

• Chile

  • Poema de Chile — Gabriela Mistral — Editorial Pomaire (1967); reissued by La Pollera Ediciones (2013)

  • Obras Completas — Teresa Wilms Montt — Editorial Renacimiento, Colección Los Cuatro Vientos, Serie Mayor (1994)

  • La amortajada — María Luisa Bombal — Editorial Nascimento (2nd ed., 1941; originally 1938)

  • La casa de los espíritus — Isabel Allende — Editorial Sudamericana (1982)

  • Los zarpazos del puma. La Caravana de la Muerte — Patricia Verdugo — Editorial Catalonia (1989)

  • Palabrarmas — Cecilia Vicuña — RIL Editores (2005)

  • Óxido de Carmen — Ana María del Río — Ediciones del Bronce, Barcelona (1986)

  • Lumpérica — Diamela Eltit — Editorial Seix Barral (1983)

  • Nosotras que nos queremos tanto — Marcela Serrano — Editorial Los Andes (1991)

  • Sangre en el ojo — Lina Meruane — Editorial Eterna Cadencia (2012)

PEN International’s Women Writers Committee (WWC) exists to ensure that women’s voices are heard, protected, and celebrated across the globe. Since its inception in 1991, the Committee has worked to defend women writers facing censorship, harassment, imprisonment, or even death for exercising their right to free expression. It also strives to promote the visibility of women’s writings across cultures and to strengthen global solidarity through the shared power of words. 

Why a Women Writers Committee? 

Women writers continue to face disproportionate barriers to freedom of expression. These range from state censorship and online harassment to exclusion from literary spaces. The WWC provides a vital platform to: 

• Defend women writers at risk 

• Advocate for equity and representation in literature 

• Promote the work of women authors internationally 

• Connect PEN Centres to collaborate on women’s rights and free expression 

By uplifting women’s stories, the Committee reinforces PEN International’s wider goal: defending freedom of expression for all. 

Its mission is to: 

• Highlight the cases of women writers on PEN International’s Case List 

• Provide visibility to women’s voices through campaigns and literary initiatives 

• Connect PEN Centres worldwide for joint campaigns, exchanges, and solidarity actions 

• Address the intersections of gender with pressing global issues, from human rights to the climate crisis 

Origins and early work 

The WWC was officially established as a Standing Committee of PEN International during its Congress in Vienna, 1991, with author and activist Meredith Tax (PEN America) elected as its first chair. Its founding reflected a growing recognition that women’s perspectives, particularly those silenced by repression, needed a stronger voice within PEN’s global advocacy. 

The Committee’s first case highlighted the urgency of its mission: Egyptian writer and activist Nawal El Saadawi, whose NGO focusing on women’s rights was forcibly shut down and whose publication Noun (Al-Nūn) was banned by the government. Since then, the WWC has taken action on cases of women writers persecuted across the world. Among the many high-profile cases it has supported are: Taslima Nasrin (Bangladesh), Nadire Mater (Türkiye), Martha Beatriz Roque (Cuba), Gao Yu (China), Pussy Riot members (Russian Federation), Regina Martínez Pérez (Mexico), Narges Mohammadi (Iran), and most recently, Pınar Selek (Türkiye) and Amanda Echanis (Philippines). Each case reflects broader struggles against authoritarianism, gender-based violence, and the silencing of dissent. 

Advocacy and initiatives 

Beyond urgent appeals, the WWC has long promoted the creative work of women who have faced repression. It has published texts by imprisoned or threatened women writers, organised international events and panel discussions, and participated in sessions of the UN Commission on the Status of Women 

The Committee has also sought to amplify recognition for women’s writing through literary prizes and initiatives such as Know Her Words, which highlights the stories of women authors across the PEN movement. 

Most recently, the Committee played a leading role in expanding PEN International’s advocacy agenda by proposing two landmark resolutions, both adopted at PEN’s 91st Congress in Krakow, Poland (2025): the PEN International Resolution on Gender Diversity Justice and the PEN International Resolution on Climate Justice. These demonstrate the Committee’s commitment not only to defending women writers, but also to addressing the intersections of gender, justice, climate, and urgent global challenges. 

A lasting commitment 

From its earliest defence of Nawal El Saadawi to its most recent resolutions on gender-based rights and climate, the WWC has stood at the forefront of defending freedom of expression for women everywhere. Its work underscores a simple but urgent truth: when women’s voices are silenced, freedom of expression is diminished for all. 

Note to Editors: 

• For more information and media queries, please contact Sabrina Tucci, PEN International Communications and Campaigns Manager, Sabrina.Tucci@pen-international.org 

Click below to watch their videos and hear, in their own words, why defending free expression is more vital than ever.

Through the Young Writers Committee, Dündar highlights the shared challenges young people face today: shrinking civic space, censorship, economic hardship, and isolation. Despite this, youth-led movements from Palestine to Serbia are driving forward collective action on climate, equality, and free expression.

Dündar shares a personal testimony of how international solidarity helped secure his father’s release from unjust imprisonment in Turkey, underscoring PEN’s unique role in offering hope and protection to writers under threat. The Tomorrow Club aims to extend that same support system to the next generation, connecting storytellers across borders to amplify their experiences and inspire a more just future.

Visit www.tomorrowclub.world or find your local PEN Centre to learn more and join the movement.

24 April 2025: PEN International is proud to launch its Young Writers Committee, a global network of young writers, creatives, and cultural changemakers dedicated to amplifying youth voices and defending freedom of expression, with representatives from PEN Centres worldwide. 

The PEN International Young Writers Committee seeks to challenge isolation and marginalisation by fostering literary solidarity, mentorship, and advocacy. At a time when civic spaces are shrinking and threats to free expression are increasing, it aims to build bridges across divides, creating platforms for young voices to be heard and supported. Inspired by PEN International’s legacy and the PEN Norway’s Tomorrow Club, a network amplifying young voices, the Young Writers Committee believes in the power of writing to drive change, connecting people across borders and generations. It calls on donors, institutions, and senior writers to stand in solidarity and support the next generation of storytellers in shaping a fairer, more inclusive world. 

The roots of PEN International's youth engagement date back a century to the To- Morrow Club, founded by writer Catherine Amy Dawson Scott, as a space for young writers to connect with established authors and publishers. This initiative laid the foundation for PEN International.  

In the 1930s, Young PEN emerged, with Bertrand Russell as one of its first presidents. Over the decades, various youth projects took shape within PEN, but there was no unified effort to address declining youth participation and an aging membership. Recognising this gap, PEN International created new spaces for young voices to collaborate and help shape the future of the organisation and the broader PEN movement. 

The Young Writers Committee was officially established at PEN International’s 90th Congress. As PEN International's first new Standing Committee in 35 years, it is now actively developing initiatives to enhance youth collaboration, amplify young voices, and increase the impact of PEN International and the PEN movement, alongside Tomorrow Club, its platform spotlighting young storytellers across borders. A core steering group of 10 young representatives—five men and five women, two from each region, and all under the age of 35—is spearheading these efforts. Drawing on more than a century of PEN International’s legacy, the Committee is dedicated to strengthening the PEN movement in the face of growing global challenges, including transnational repression, deepening societal divisions, and mounting threats to free expression. Its establishment marks a historic step forward, ensuring that young voices play a vital role in shaping PEN International's future. 

Note to Editors:  

Young Writers Committee’s social media: 
 

• Bluesky: @youngwriterspen.bsky.social 

• TikTok: @youngwriterspen 

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575292145957&sk=about 

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pen_youth/ 

For media queries, please contact Sabrina Tucci, PEN International Communications and Campaigns Manager,  Sabrina.Tucci@pen-international.org     

We, the Young Writers Committee, 

are a global constellation of young writers, creatives, and cultural changemakers, united under the banner of PEN International. With representatives from over 58 countries and countless communities - spanning every continent, language, and struggle - we represent a generation that yearns to express its experience and transform conditions for the better, but is increasingly isolated and marginalised for this. We write to question, to resist, to dream, and to build anew. We write because our voices and shared reality matter, now more than ever.   

At a time when civic spaces are shrinking all over the world, and issues that span borders call for collective action, ranging from social inequalities to the climate emergency, war and conflicts to authoritarianism, and regression of rights, including free, peaceful expression – we believe in the power of the written word to help us connect across divides and amplify each other's voices. We are the heirs of more than a centenary old tradition of literary solidarity and are committed to continuing that legacy by forging a powerful international network where young voices can be heard, nurtured, and defended.  

Our vision is rooted in freedom 

- freedom of expression, imagination, creation, identity and dissent. We believe that the right to speak and write without fear is not a luxury - it is a necessity. Yet, for many young people around the world, that right is under threat. In too many countries, youth are silenced, surveilled, or sidelined. Creative expression is censored. Voices are stifled. Dreams are deferred. We refuse to accept that as the status quo.  

There is a shared sense of pride to be found in the word youth, beyond ideologies. While it groups a highly diverse set of individuals under one label, this collective identity may be what is needed to bring us closer together, given the scale of challenges we face in the future. Our differences matter and are worth navigating so that we can be united over common struggles, the most important of which is a livable future. What better way is there than storytelling to connect over? Who better at opening up and connecting strangers than storytellers and writivists?  

We aim to connect and support young authors under 35 through mentorship, advocacy, collaborative projects, and storytelling spaces. Spaces where emerging voices can not only be heard but uplifted. Young people, and particularly young writers, are often under-supported and underrepresented. They need to be supported pre-emptively, before they face threats. 

We will build bridges where others raise walls of fear 

We will champion young voices and their initiatives, and link them to global conversations. We will stand in solidarity with those whose voices are threatened—and amplify those whose stories are just beginning. 

Our steering committee is made up of 10 bright writers from five continents. Through our global network and online platform, The Tomorrow Club, and through our regional groups, we will exchange experiences, build communities, share tools and ideas on literature, free expression, and the larger picture we are inheriting. We believe in the power of language to broaden perspectives and dialogue, and to bridge divides.  

We believe the youth are  a force changing entrenched dynamics in many countries 

From Türkiye to Belarus, Myanmar to Bangladesh, Georgia to Palestine, the youth are showing great resilience in defence of their rights and when targeted for their peaceful expression. It seems increasingly likely that youth in other countries will experience similar threats soon. We must make space for and support their collective rights and voices. Writing and creativity as tools to express and process sincere emotions, are a key to empathy, resonating and connecting with "others". As Albert Camus noted, "in the face of so much suffering, if art insists on being a luxury, it will also be a lie." 

This is not just our Committee. It is our call to action for brave young voices of Today and Tomorrow, reflecting on and questioning their conditions, and challenging the status quo through their writings. For the future we inherit—and the one we are imagining, throughout history, into being. 

Ege Dündar and Ayi Renaud Dossavi for the Young Writers Committee