PEN America, a renowned literary group devoted to free expression, has called off its annual award ceremony due to a mass withdrawal of nominated writers protesting the Gaza conflict. The cancellation was announced after nine out of ten nominated writers pulled out, citing the organization’s alleged lack of support for Palestinian writers.
This decision reflects a broader movement in the US supporting Gaza. Of the 61 nominees, 28 withdrew their books in protest. CEO Suzanne Nossel expressed regret over the cancellation, acknowledging the significant effort invested in the event.
He said: “This is a beloved event and an enormous amount of work goes into it, so we all regret this outcome but ultimately concluded it was not possible to carry out a celebration in the way we had hoped and planned,” said CEO Suzanne Nossel.”
Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf, PEN America’s Literary Programming Chief Officer, respected writers’ decisions to follow their conscience amidst the controversy.
“We greatly respect that writers have followed their consciences, whether they chose to remain as nominees in their respective categories or not.”
“We regret that this unprecedented situation has taken away the spotlight from the extraordinary work selected by esteemed, insightful and hard-working judges across all categories,” she added.
Open letters signed by PEN nominees criticized the organization for taking sides against Gaza in the conflict, accusing it of betraying its commitment to peace and equality.
The writers accused PEN of being a cultural front for American exceptionalism and complicit in normalizing genocide. Israel, however, rejects the genocide accusation, considering it offensive given its history.
PEN condemned loss of life in Gaza and established a $100,000 fund for Palestinian writers. The awards ceremony, initially scheduled for April 29, was ultimately cancelled amid escalating tensions and protests within the literary community.
