About the programme
We champion literature beyond national and linguistic borders, and beyond conventional literary expectations.
Our mission reflects the PEN Charter’s declaration that ‘literature […] knows no frontiers, and should remain a common currency between nations’.
We do this through our PEN Translates grant, PEN Transmissions - our online magazine for international voices - and our public events programme.
"There are not words enough in my countless dictionaries to express my admiration for PEN’s Writers in Translation programme."
Frank Wynne, Translator and writer
PEN Translates
Our PEN Translates grants programme awards books of merit and courage and helps UK publishers to meet the costs of translating new works into English – whilst ensuring translators are acknowledged and paid properly for their work.
The World Bookshelf
See hundreds of brilliant books from around the globe, supported by English PEN's Writers in Translation programme.
This is a unique showcase of the most exciting contemporary literature available in English translation and is essential reading for everyone who cares about international writing.
PEN Transmissions, our online magazine for international writers, publishes personal essays and interviews from both emerging and established voices across the world.
