PEN America raised more than $2 million at its annual gala Thursday night as the century-old literary and free expression organization confronts an escalating wave of book bans sweeping schools and libraries across the United States, with thousands of works being removed from public access.
The fundraising dinner at the American Museum of Natural History in New York came after recent reports from PEN and the American Library Association documented a continued surge in censorship efforts targeting writers and readers. Author and bookseller Ann Patchett accepted the PEN/Audible Literary Service Award and urged the audience to reflect on the enduring power of the written word amid mounting threats to free expression.
Frontline Defenders of Democracy
The Tennessee-based activists Tatiana Silvas and Keri Lambert received one of the night's longest ovations for their anti-censorship Rutherford County Library Alliance, which has fought book bans in the Rutherford area. The alliance won the PEN/Benenson Courage Award. Lambert emphasized the democratic stakes of the censorship battle: "Libraries are not simply buildings filled with books. They are one of the few institutions that truly belong to everyone, regardless of age, income, background or beliefs." She added, "Defending libraries is really about defending democracy itself. A healthy community depends on informed citizens, open dialogue and the freedom to explore ideas. Libraries make all of that possible."
PEN co-CEO Summer Lopez warned of the broader implications of censorship for civil liberties. "First, they come for your freedom of expression. Without that freedom to raise your voice, it is much easier to strip away all of your other rights," Lopez said. She added, "We believe that hidden in the horrors of this moment is also an opportunity — to mobilize people and ignite a movement for free expression, here and everywhere."
Writers Under Siege Worldwide
The Iranian writer-dissidents Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee and Ali Asadollahi received the PEN/Barbery Freedom to Write Award, given to writers who have faced government harassment and imprisonment. PEN President Dinaw Mengestu said neither was able to attend and that their absence was signified by two empty chairs. He asked the audience to imagine a time of no empty chairs "on this stage or on any stage in this world." The gala came as writers and journalists face persecution worldwide.
Patchett said, "The history of nature is made up of both extreme beauty and violence, volcanoes and butterflies, shifting tectonic plates and marsupials, the bones of the stegosaurus and the light of Milky Way." She added, "To spend a day in this museum is to understand that the world had plenty of action before we got here, and it will continue to have plenty of action. And so, let us marvel that people still want to write books, and that we want to read them."
Creative Freedom and Protection
Film producer Jason Blum, whose credits range from Jordan Peele's Oscar-nominated "Get Out" to the horror franchises "Halloween" and "Paranormal Activity," received PEN's Business Visionary award. He was introduced by actor-singer Maya Hawke, who said he was her godfather and described him as an ongoing role model who "builds a safe and boundaried structure and then gives creatives freedom and control within that. Like a good father, or godfather."
Blum said horror films do not have a rich history of critical praise and read insults he said he had come across, including "For the young, the ignorant, and the idle" and "Extremely provocative of that sensation in the palate and throat which leads to nausea." He said those remarks dated to the 19th century and were directed at the mass market sensation of the time, the novel. "So all forms of storytelling, especially when they're new and different, need protection from the forces of snobbery and suppression," he said.
The gala was hosted by author-actor B.J. Novak. Amy Tan, Walter Isaacson and Rebecca Yarros were among the table hosts.
Why This Matters:
The $2 million raised represents critical resources for defending free expression at a time when access to literature and ideas faces coordinated assault in communities nationwide. The documented surge in book bans disproportionately affects marginalized voices and stories that challenge dominant narratives, limiting what young people and community members can read and learn. The recognition of grassroots activists like the Rutherford County Library Alliance highlights how ordinary citizens are being forced to organize and fight to preserve public institutions that serve everyone regardless of economic status. The empty chairs representing imprisoned Iranian writers underscore how attacks on free expression connect domestic censorship campaigns to global patterns of authoritarian repression. When libraries—one of the few truly democratic public spaces remaining—come under sustained attack, the broader infrastructure of informed citizenship and open dialogue that sustains democratic society is threatened.