PEN AMERICA

World Voices Festival

April 29 – May 2, 2026

NYC Schedule LA Schedule
An illustration of three stacked books with a fourth book open on top, evoking the spirit of a book literary festival. Below the books, bold yellow text reads STORIES MATTER on a black background.

4 Days. 40+ Events. 140+ Authors from 40+ Countries

Happening now: the World Voices Festival is PEN America’s annual celebration of writers, international literature, and free expression. Taking place now through May 2, this year’s festival is an insistence on the power of literature and cross-cultural dialogue. This gathering of writers from every part of the globe is a potent reminder—in fact, an antidote in an era of censorship, nativism, and renewed isolationism—that books drive culture and the stories we tell can shape and transform our lives.

A world map with various countries highlighted in different colors, illustrating global diversity at a book literary festival. Large text at the top reads: 140+ AUTHORS FROM 40+ COUNTRIES.

The breadth of our programming this year has events for everyone! The festival’s accessibly-priced and free programs will take over bookstores, schools, parks, and historic venues across New York City’s Greenwich Village and Los Angeles. Wide ranging discussions will cover topics like dark academia, threats to US democracy, dystopian novels, climate change solutions, border literature, the art of translation, and more. This festival embodies our belief that poets, novelists, translators, and journalists, and literature writ broadly, reminds us of our shared humanity and is a bulwark against the rising tide of autocratic powers threatening democratic values.

Featured NY Events

There is something for everyone!

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Featured NY Speakers

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NYC Festival Pass

Attend any NYC event for one low price of $75

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A smartphone displays a digital festival tickets pass for the PEN America World Voices Festival, featuring a colorful illustration of a person reading a book on the subway, with the words Festival Pass at the bottom.
A collage of colorful book covers displayed diagonally on a purple background evokes the vibrant atmosphere of a book literary festival, featuring titles such as The Water Remembers, The new politics of Poland, Enshittification, and more.

Festival Reading Lists

Let’s get ready to read! The latest releases from festival authors are available on Bookshop.org.

Get the lists

Thanks to Our 2026 Presenting Sponsors

The Poetry Foundation logo featuring the word POETRY in bold black letters divided by red lines, with FOUNDATION in white letters on a red rectangle below and a black Pegasus graphic at the bottom.
Logo for the Taipei Cultural Center in New York, Ministry of Culture, Republic of China (Taiwan), featuring a blue abstract graphic and traditional Chinese calligraphy, highlighting English and Chinese text for a book literary festival.
Bold purple lowercase letters tdf, often associated with creative literary festival sponsors, centered on a plain white background.