PEN America has canceled its annual awards ceremony due to withdrawals from authors protesting the organization’s perceived bias in favor of Israel during the Israel-Hamas War. Notable withdrawals include Rachel Eliza Griffiths, wife of Salman Rushdie, and nine out of ten PEN/Jean Stein Book Award nominees. The cancelation follows open letters from over 1,000 writers and poets urging PEN America to advocate for Palestinian rights.
PEN America has called off its annual awards ceremony due to widespread dissatisfaction with the organization’s response to the Israel-Hamas war. Dozens of nominees have dropped out of the event, including nine of the 10 Jean Stein Award finalists, citing concerns about alleged bias in favor of Israel and the downplaying of atrocities against Palestinian writers. PEN America has defended its work, citing its condemnation of the loss of life in Gaza and its efforts to support Palestinian writers. However, critics argue that these efforts are insufficient and call for the resignation of top officials.
PEN America has canceled its annual literary awards ceremony due to widespread criticism over its response to the war in Gaza. Nearly half of the nominees had withdrawn, accusing the organization of not more firmly condemning Israel’s actions. The organization had previously defended its position, calling for a ceasefire but not explicitly criticizing Israel. The cancellation of the awards ceremony marks an unprecedented moment for the organization and highlights the growing tensions within the literary community over the issue of Palestine.
PEN America has canceled its annual awards ceremony due to widespread unhappiness over its response to the Israel-Hamas war. Dozens of nominees withdrew from the event, including nine of the 10 finalists for the PEN/Jean Stein Award for best book. The organization said that continuing with the ceremony was not possible under the circumstances.
The 2024 PEN America Literary Awards ceremony has been cancelled due to the withdrawal of 28 nominated authors in protest of the organization’s response to Israel’s war on Gaza. The decision follows backlash from the literary community, who urged finalists and winners to withdraw from the awards. PEN America has announced that the career achievement winners will still receive their awards, but no public ceremony will take place.
