The burning of bookstalls in Kolkata, where I grew up and which, after nearly half a century away, still feels most like home, is personal. Kolkata has a long tradition of bringing books into its festivities. During Durgotsav, the Bengalis’ biggest annual religious festival, temporary bookstalls spring up around the venues where communities gather toContinueContinue reading “Kolkata, Despair and Hope”
Tag Archives: books
Book bans in the US
Across the United States, thousands of books have been removed from public school classrooms and libraries as part of an unprecedented wave of censorship.
Books, blasphemy and bans in Indonesia
“Book banning has a long history in Indonesia, extending back to the [Dutch] colonial period, although it was most pronounced during Suharto’s New Order period (1968–98).” (Hendri Yulius). The New Order turned into law a 1963 decree against Marxist–Leninist propaganda passed under Sukarno’s regime (1945–67) and relied on a 1965 Blasphemy Law to curb freedomContinueContinue reading “Books, blasphemy and bans in Indonesia”
Writers under siege: Defending freedom of expression
Acting Chair’s message May 2026 Writers under siege are facing imprisonment, censorship and exile in increasing numbers across the world. Protecting freedom of expression is at the heart of PEN’s mission. PEN International launched its International Case List 2026 on 23 April 2026. Since 1960, case lists have been updated regularly. This year’s Case ListContinueContinue reading “Writers under siege: Defending freedom of expression”
Banned books: Myanmar
In 2023, PEN America labels Myanmar ‘the world’s worst jailer of writers’. It might well be also called ‘the world’s worst book banner’. Under Aung San Suu Kyi’s nearly 10 years rule, as the military stepped back, the democratic experiment led to some freedom of expression, albeit ‘with the persistence of taboo issues, such asContinueContinue reading “Banned books: Myanmar”
Banned books: Life and Death in Shanghai by Nien Cheng
At a March meeting of the PEN International Women Writers Committee, Sotiria Georganti focused on a selection of banned books around the world and spotlighted Life and Death in Shanghai by Nien Cheng (1915–2009). As a memoir documenting the Red Guards’ cruelty and the Chinese Cultural Revolution’s chaotic nature, it is prohibited for sale inContinueContinue reading “Banned books: Life and Death in Shanghai by Nien Cheng”
Chair’s message February 2026
Dear members and fellow travellers Welcome to 2026. We began the year with a letter from a writer recently released from prison. We are not able to share their name, but we can share their words: “Let me start by thanking PEN International … and all the writers and artists who united in solidarity forContinueContinue reading “Chair’s message February 2026”
Boualem Sansal: A victory for freedom of expression… and a reward
Eighty-year-old Franco-Algerian writer and journalist Boualem Sansal was arrested in November 2024 by Algerian authorities on trumped-up charges of ‘undermining national unity’ and ‘attacking state institutions’ after suggesting in an interview with the extreme-right wing media Frontières, France had unfairly transferred Moroccan territory to Algeria during the colonial era.[1] This territorial issue has soured French–AlgerianContinueContinue reading “Boualem Sansal: A victory for freedom of expression… and a reward”