Festival Team

The 2023 PEN World Voices Festival was envisioned and assembled by a curatorial committee. Upholding the festival’s long-standing approach to the power of storytelling as a change-making tool, these curators tapped wide-ranging voices from around the globe to help bring about new understandings to this moment of uncertainty and flux—often asking how, from here, we may shape our future.

2023 Festival Chair


Ayad Akhtar
PEN America President & 2023 Festival Chair

2023 Guest Chairs


Marlon James

Author & 2023 Guest Chair


Ottessa Moshfegh
Author & 2023 Guest Chair

Curatorial Committee

Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf
Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf
Chief Program Officer, Literary Programming


Sabir Sultan
Associate Director of the World Voices Festival & Literary Programs

Eloisa-Amezcua
Eloisa Amezcua
2023 Curator, Poet & Translator

Devyani Saltzman headshot
Devyani Saltzman
2023 Curator, Writer & Journalist


Louise Steinman
2023 Curator, Writer/Literary Curator


Andy Tepper
2023 Curator, Writer & Critic

2023 LA Festival Team


Allison Lee
Managing Director, LA

Jenn Dees
Jenn Dees
Programs Director, LA

2023 PEN Festival Staff


Jenny Tibbels
Producer, World Voices Festival and Literary Programs

Dylan Zwickel, Coordinator
James Petrine, Box Office Manager
Camille Crain Drummond, Company Manager
Krystal McRae, Volunteer Coordinator
Claire Fennell, Curatorial Volunteer
Adrienne Murr, Festival Intern
Beowulf Sheehan, Photographer
Q+A Events and Production LLC
For more information about PEN America Leadership & Staff, please visit our Leadership and Staff page.