In 1982, following the 500% increase in book banning the year prior, PEN America organized an evening of readings of forbidden books that brought together iconic contemporary American writers and performers—including Toni Morrison, Donald Barthelme, and Margaret Hamilton—to celebrate the vitality of works that had been censored. As the U.S. now experiences a wave of educational gag orders, the country has seen an onslaught of book bans: with over 1300 counted by PEN America in half a year. In response to this disturbing trend, PEN America revives this event, gathering a star-studded celebration of the freedom to write, read, and think featuring dramatic readings from some of the most “dangerous” texts ever printed. These stories and poems have been ripped from the hands of young readers and deemed harmful, often for their revelation of important truths, underrepresented perspectives, and expansion of imaginations and worldviews.

The evening will highlight recent banned books, and other vital, once verboten, works by writers including Toni Morrison, Art Spiegelman, Kurt Vonnegut, and more. Wajahat Ali, New York Times contributing op-ed writer, public speaker and author of the recently published book Go Back to Where You Came From will host. Participants include: Susan Kuklin, V (formerly Eve Ensler), Eileen Myles, Jason Reynolds, Tanya Talaga, Tochi Onyebuchi, Paul Zelinsky, and Fatima Shaik. Music will be provided by Vietnamese musician and free expression advocate Mai Khoi and Pittsburgh-based pianist and composer Mark Micchelli. Presented in collaboration with the PEN America’s Children’s and Young Adult Book Committee and Free Expression and Education Program. ASL interpretation provided by Pro Bono ASL.

Please note: as of May 10, the elevator of this historic venue is non-functioning. The event space is located up stairs. Contact us at publicprograms@pen.org.

For more information on this event, and the participants, please visit pen.org/festival.

Covid-19 policy, as of April 5, 2022: PEN World Voices Festival venues in New York City require all attendees to be fully vaccinated, including a booster, and to remain fully masked indoors at all times. We understand that local, state and federal guidelines are frequently changing, and we appreciate your patience and flexibility as we uphold the policies of our partner venues. For more detailed information on the Festival Covid-19 policy, visit our General Information page.

Refunds: All PEN World Voices Festival tickets are non-refundable. Please confirm the time and location of your event before finalizing your purchase. Tickets may be transferred to a livestream option for select events.