A significant number of authors and translators have withdrawn from the PEN America Literary Awards, citing the organization's stance on the war in Gaza and its failure to condemn attacks that have killed their colleagues. Twenty-nine individuals have declined their nominations or awards, including nine of the ten nominees for the prestigious $75,000 Jean Stein Book Award. The withdrawals are a protest against what is perceived as PEN America's 'complicity in normalizing genocide.' Criticism was also directed at PEN president Jennifer Finney Boylan's statement, which was seen as a diversion from these issues.
One third of the writers and translators nominated for PEN awards won’t show up because PEN won’t condemn attacks that have killed their colleagues in Gaza. I quit PEN years ago after realizing that it functions mainly as a promoter of US foreign policy. https://t.co/XN2MceAIZ2
29 Writers Withdraw from PEN Prizes to Protest “Complicity in Normalizing Genocide” https://t.co/0jWkgkBcEn
Writers withdraw from PEN America literary awards in support of Gaza https://t.co/lIxOnEqB5X
I find this statement by PEN president Jennifer Finney Boylan gross. a distracting, writerly attempt at animal metaphors that dodges the actual criticisms against PEN, an anti-war protest Boylan misrepresents as "authors silencing themselves" https://t.co/uYlnD4yuCu https://t.co/wwdBxhGWdW
Twenty-nine authors have withdrawn from the PEN Literary Awards citing PEN America’s ‘complicity in normalizing genocide.’ Nine of ten nominees refused the $75,000 Jean Stein Book Award. https://t.co/PGzNbgacqe
Several authors have turned down awards and awards nominations from PEN America, citing unhappiness with the literary and free expression organization’s stance on the war in Gaza. https://t.co/HNr6rrYkwr
9 authors refuse nominations for PEN awards, citing group’s stance on war in Gaza https://t.co/X7lBnbCklP