PEN America, a leading advocate for free expression, has canceled its 2024 literary awards ceremony due to intensifying controversy over its stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The decision came after a significant number of nominated authors withdrew from the event, citing the organization’s response to the conflict as insufficiently supportive of Palestinian rights.
The literary awards, which were scheduled for April 29 at Town Hall in Manhattan, will not proceed as planned, although the organization will still distribute the prizes to those nominees who did not withdraw. “We greatly respect that writers have followed their consciences, whether they chose to remain as nominees or not,” said Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf, PEN America’s Chief Officer for Literary Programming.
Nearly half of the PEN America award nominees chose to withdraw their nominations. Prominent among them were authors like Camonghne Felix and Christina Sharpe. The dissenting nominees issued an aggressive critique, accusing PEN America of clinging to a disingenuous facade of neutrality while parroting what they characterized as Israeli government propaganda and calling for the resignation of key figures within the organization, including its long-time chief executive Suzanne Nossel.
In response, Nossel remarked, “We regret that this unprecedented situation has taken away the spotlight from the extraordinary work selected by our esteemed, insightful, and hard-working judges across all categories.” She added that PEN America remains committed to its mission of recognizing and honoring outstanding authors and fostering a community that supports freedom of expression.
The controversy has also affected other events organized by PEN America. The World Voices Festival, another significant event by the organization, has seen withdrawals, though it is still set to proceed. Suzanne Nossel assured that PEN America is open to dialogue, which she describes as the organization’s lifeblood. “In our minds, it’s how you move forward,” Nossel stated.
The daughters of Jean Stein, after whom one of the PEN awards is named, requested that the prize money for the award be redirected to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.
As the organization grapples with these challenges, PEN America’s president, Jennifer Finney Boylan, announced a broad review of the organization’s past decade of work to align more closely with its mission and effectively respond to future conflicts. This introspection reflects a broader struggle within cultural and literary circles over how to address the deeply divisive issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The literary community watches closely, waiting to see how one of its leading organizations will balance its foundational principles against the pressing demands for political and social justice.
