The PEN American Center

The PEN American Center, a prominent literary organization, is a chapter of PEN International, founded by Catherine Amy Dawson Scott and John Galsworthy in London in 1921. The center is headquartered in New York City and has been a vital part of the American literary scene, with members including renowned writers such as Toni Morrison, Don DeLillo, and Joyce Carol Oates. The organization has a long history of promoting literary freedom and supporting writers worldwide, including Salman Rushdie, Nadine Gordimer, and Harold Pinter. The center's activities are closely tied to those of other PEN International chapters, such as the PEN Canada and English PEN.

● History

The PEN American Center was established in 1922, with Robert Frost as one of its founding members, and has since become a leading voice in the American literary community, with members like Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Langston Hughes. The center has a rich history of hosting literary events, including the PEN World Voices Festival, which features writers such as Michael Ondaatje, Margaret Atwood, and Orhan Pamuk. The organization has also been involved in various literary activism efforts, including the Writers in Prison Committee, which supports writers like Liu Xiaobo and Aung San Suu Kyi. The center's history is closely tied to that of other literary organizations, such as the National Book Foundation and the Academy of American Poets.

● Mission and Activities

The PEN American Center's mission is to promote literary freedom and support writers worldwide, including those like Assia Djebar and Naguib Mahfouz. The organization achieves this through various activities, including hosting literary events like the PEN Literary Gala, which honors writers such as Philip Roth and Alice Walker. The center also publishes a literary magazine, PEN America, which features work by writers like Jonathan Franzen and Zadie Smith. Additionally, the organization provides writing grants and fellowships to emerging writers, such as those awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation. The center's activities are supported by partners like the Ford Foundation and the Open Society Foundations.

● Notable Members

The PEN American Center has a long list of notable members, including Nobel Prize winners like Toni Morrison and Alice Munro. Other notable members include Pulitzer Prize winners like Michael Cunningham and Jennifer Egan, as well as National Book Award winners like Richard Ford and Shirley Hazzard. The organization's members also include prominent writers like David Foster Wallace, Jonathan Lethem, and George Saunders, who have been recognized by organizations like the MacArthur Foundation and the Whiting Foundation. The center's membership has also included international writers like Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Isabel Allende, who have been recognized by organizations like the Cervantes Institute and the Latin American Writers Institute.

● Awards and Programs

The PEN American Center offers a range of awards and programs to support writers, including the PEN/Faulkner Award for fiction, which has been awarded to writers like Tobias Wolff and Ha Jin. The organization also offers the PEN/Hemingway Award for debut fiction, which has been awarded to writers like Jhumpa Lahiri and Yiyun Li. Additionally, the center provides writing residencies and fellowships to emerging writers, such as those offered by the Yaddo and MacDowell Colony. The organization's awards and programs are supported by partners like the National Endowment for the Arts and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

● Governance and Leadership

The PEN American Center is governed by a board of trustees, which includes prominent writers and literary professionals like Jennifer Egan and Ayana Mathis. The organization's president is Andrew Solomon, who has been recognized by organizations like the National Book Critics Circle and the Lambda Literary Foundation. The center's leadership team also includes Suzanne Nossel, who has worked with organizations like the Human Rights Watch and the United Nations Foundation. The organization's governance and leadership are guided by its constitution and bylaws, which are modeled after those of other literary organizations like the Authors Guild and the Writers Guild of America. The center is also a member of PEN International, which is headquartered in London and has chapters in over 100 countries, including PEN Canada and English PEN.