Honorary Members under Threat

English PEN does not only step in when writers are imprisoned. We also monitor the condition of writers, publishers and journalists around the world whose work has attracted threats, violence and harassment. The authorities often turn a blind eye to this form of cultural censorship, which can be extremely intimidating.

English PEN cannot lobby communities or terrorists, but we seek through our campaigning and educational work to demonstrate that the principle of free expression is equally valuable to everyone, and that writers must be free to publish their views.

Writers are safest in societies which value free expression.

Here are some statistics:

*Data collected from International PEN's Writers in Prison Committee Case List - January to June 2009. To see the full report, please click here.