Schedule

With the writers hailing from five different continents, the International Play Festival generates a conversation on art, politics, dreams, war, and philosophy, meant to give American audiences a rich awareness of the greater global dialogue. Free and open to the public, first come first served.

Voices in the arts rally against hate, with performances, readings, and conversations from Patti Smith with her daughter Jesse Paris Smith, Ani DiFranco, Marlon James, Colum McCann, Suphala, Andrew Solomon, Suzanne Nossel, and Salman Rushdie.

Carrie Brownstein (Hunger Makes Me A Modern Girl/Portlandia) and Thomas Meinecke (Tomboy)—both musician-authors—discuss what it means to be heard, loudly. Moderated by Kathy Tu.

The poet José Emilio Pacheco, used to say that written fiction has survived because it’s, still, the best technology we have to incorporate the other’s experience in ours: the more... Read More

With the writers hailing from five different continents, the International Play Festival generates a conversation on art, politics, dreams, war, and philosophy, meant to give American audiences a rich awareness of the greater global dialogue. Free and open to the public, first come first served.

Jennifer Finney Boylan, Thomas Page McBee, Eileen Myles, Saeed Jones, and Jennifer Pozner discuss the narratives of transgender issues found—or not seen—in the media. This event is free, reservations via the "buy tickets" button.

A screening of the powerful 2016 film (directed by Kleber Mendonca Filho, with Sonia Braga) about the struggles of an independent woman.

Rokudenashiko, a feminist Japanese manga artist making colorful models of her vagina, Ali Asgar, an LGBTQ+ Bangladeshi performance artist, and Iranian singer-songwriter Mohsen Namjoo, the “Bob Dylan of Iran” (New York Times), will explore politics, gender and identity, and their experience of persecution at home. The conversation will be moderated by Alexandra Munroe, Guggenheim Senior Curator for Asian Art.

Young female protagonists uncover betrayals, secrets, and sinister motives—from long buried familial conflicts to nefarious classmates—in five novels, set all over the world. This event is free, reservations available via the "buy tickets" button.

Writers and translators Athena Farrokhzad, Jennifer Hayashida, Noemi Jaffe, Julia Sanches and Ellen Elias-Bursać discuss the borders of power, gender, language, place, and identity, examining where they intersect and diverge.

Women writers on urban space, freedom, and how they move through and experience it. This event is free, reservations available via the "buy tickets" button.

Greenlight celebrates the release of Freeman’s #3: Home with a reading and panel from contributors Barry Lopez, Kerri Arsenault, Lawrence Joseph, and Emily Raboteau, hosted by Freeman’s founder and editor John Freeman.

Using the prism of Shakespeare, we will consider the various ways his work has been used throughout the centuries to channel dissent or used as propaganda and how the arts allow for greater freedoms of speech in our societies in the UK and US today.

A discussion about the intersection of LGBTQ rights and faith with Joy Ladin, Amy Butler, Garrard Conley, Binyavanga Wainaina, moderated by Jennifer Boylan. This event is free, reservations available via the "buy tickets" button.

Who’s afraid of women’s sexuality? Sarah Barmak, Mona Eltahawy, Jill Filipovic, and Sabrina Jones. This event is free, reservations available via the "buy tickets" button.

Curated by the co-founders and editors of Monkey Business, Motoyuki Shibata and Ted Goossen, together with contributing editor Roland Kelts, this dialogue features Japanese authors Hiromi Itō and Hiroko Oyamada, in conversation with American authors Jamaica Kincaid and Brian Evenson.

An evening of celebration and conversation with world-renowned poet Adonis. Poet and PEN Trustee Tom Healy will present the award and read English translations of a selection of Adonis’ poems. He will be interviewed by Jessica Hagedorn, a judge for the PEN/Nabokov Award, and winner of the American Book Award.

Strong eminent women are the subjects of writers and performers.

How do war, migration, and racism shape women’s interactions with their bodies, families, and the world? With Athena Farrokhzad, Helon Habila, Alia Malek, and Dr. Nimmi Gowrinathan.

Artists discuss their take on the post-marriage equality yet homophobic state-of-the-world with Tobin Low, Andrew Solomon, Garth Greenwell, Ali Asgar, and Edouard Louis.

Women writers, entrepreneurs, and artists explore the dramas of culinary history, tradition, and the future of food with vigor and nuance. This event is free, reservations available via the "buy tickets" button.

From Standing Rock to the Niger Delta to Gaza, access to clean, safe water is at the center of conflicts that will shape the world’s future.

Throughout the world, rape and sexual assault survivors are shamed into silence because of long held and deeply embedded cultural beliefs that perpetuate stigma. Driven by a sense of urgency to change this paradigm, Ram Devineni co-created the augmented reality superhero Priya, a rape survivor whose story is opening new ways to educate about gender based violence in India. Adding a US perspective to these challenges are Jessica Luther who proposes a constructive alternative to navigating rape on college campuses. Also joining them will be Andrea Pino, editor of We Believe You, an anthology of stories of survivors’ trauma, healing, and activism. Moderated by Bryony Cole. This event is free, reservations available via the "buy tickets" button.

Women from disparate walks of life and ages share their experiences of breaking through cultural norms, pushing past the heteronormative patriarchy, and self-empowerment.

A discussion on portraying women’s sexuality in fiction with novelists Yewande Omotoso, Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, Malin Persson Giolito, and Minae Mizumura. This event is free, reservations available via the "buy tickets" button.

Illicit love is the subject of these internationally celebrated authors who have dared to cross religious, cultural, and gender taboos.

A discussion on straddling multiple cultural identities between Nigerian-born National Book Award winning novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Trevor Noah, the South African- born host of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show. Thank you to Penguin Random House for their generous sponsorship of this event. This event is also presented in partnership with Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment's One Book, One New York.

Iliazd’s novel about a bandit and his lover offended both Russia’s revolutionaries and their opponents in the 1920s. Why read it now? With translator Thomas Kitson and Russian literature scholar Jennifer Wilson. This event is free, reservations available via the "buy tickets" button.

Valeria Luiselli is the author of the essay collection "Sidewalks" and the novels "Faces in the Crowd" and "The Story of My Teeth", a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Hannah Tinti is the author of the story collection "Animal Crackers" and the novels "The Good Thief" and "The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley".

International award-winning writers read passages from works that influenced them alongside passages from their own writing, with Teju Cole, Marilyn Nelson, Oddny Eir and Samanta Schweblin. Moderated by Bridgett Davis.

Approaching the Collision of Texts and Bodies. With Eiko Otake, Dagmawi Woubshet, and Amy Sara Carroll. Moderated by Madhu Kaza.

Explore mythologies and lived experiences of Cubans with renowned contemporary poets Nancy Morejón and Derek Palacio, while immersing yourself in an after-hours discovery of the American Museum of Natural History’s exhibition ¡Cuba!.

How is controlling reproductive rights at a crossroads? With Marge Piercy, Alice Sola Kim, Namwali Sperwell, and Basma Abdel Aziz.

Residents open their homes for readings by authors and a party in their legendary gallery.

Vahni Capildeo, Natalie Diaz, Pulitzer Prize winner Gregory Pardlo, and Shivanee Ramlochan examine intimacy, language, and poetry as the key that unlocks both mind and body.

Viet Thanh Nguyen joins Chinelo Okparanta for a conversation about gender, race and power in their work and lives. This event is free, reservations available via the "buy tickets" button.

Comedy writing in the age of Trump with members of Samantha Bee’s writing team. With Mathan Erhardt, Ashley Black, and Patrick Cassels. Hosted by WNYC Studios' More Perfect producer Sean Rameswaram. Co-presented with the Jerome L. Greene Performance Space at WNYC

Three Russian women writers, from different genres and generations, consider gender, power, and creative freedom in their country. Hear from a chronicler of Pussy Riot and gay rights in Russia,... Read More

Poetry, prose and performance by gay writers who speak openly about the power and challenges of creating from a queer perspective with Binyavanga Wainaina (Kenya), Saeed Jones (USA), Marlon James (Jamaica) and Ali Asgar (Bangladesh). Moderated by Charles Rice-González (USA/Puerto Rico). This event is free, reservations available via the "buy tickets" button.

How do African writers, at home and abroad, navigate the challenges of material, audience, and more in a rapidly shrinking world? With Maaza Mengiste, Peter Kimani, and Mona Eltahawy. Moderated by Andy Tepper. This event is free, reservations available via the "buy tickets" button.

Writers Honor Moore, Michelle Golberg, and Margo Jefferson discuss the ongoing legacy of second-wave feminism with writer, critic, and Jezebel founder Anna Holmes.

Navigating territory and testimony beyond the linguistic. With Lina Mounzer, Jonathan Blitzer, and Sahand Keshavarz Rahbar. Moderated by Allison Markin Powell.

In the face of egregious assaults on women’s rights to control their own bodies and speech, Executive Director of PEN Suzanne Nossel and President of Planned Parenthood Cecile Richards discuss resisting and fighting back, ensuring that free expression and reproductive rights are protected for all.

Each of these three authors has written work that falls on the spectrum of memoir – some is more fictionalized, and some stays truer to their authors’ lives and experiences.... Read More

From East Village bars to laundromats, park benches, and bookstores, Lit Crawl NYC brings literature to the streets with readings, discussions, and events full of readers, writers, and all-around literary merriment, kicking off with a literary magazine block party at CLMP's PRESS FEST!. Lit Crawl NYC was founded in 2008, and since 2015 has been jointly produced by Litquake and PEN America, an organization dedicated to defending free expression, supporting persecuted writers, and promoting literary culture.

How do we imagine the world ending? With Claire Vaye Watkins, Jeff VanderMeer, Emily St. John Mandel, and Alexander Weinstein.

Bold new writing is coming from Argentinean writers, at home and abroad. A celebration of Samanta Schweblin (Fever Dream), Mariana Enriquez (Things We Lost in the Fire), and Pola Oloixarac (Savage Theories). Moderated by Lina Meruane. This event is free, reservations available via the "buy tickets" button.

What happens when a poem migrates into another language, not just once but twice? Find out at this Festival favorite, where poets, translators, and audience members square off in a spirited exchange over meaning, choice, and freedom.

Translators Tess Lewis, Susan Bernofsky, Kaiama L. Glover, and Katrine Jensen will read from their work, followed by a lively discussion on the vital importance of translating work by women,... Read More

A conversation between former MacArthur fellow, polymath translator and poet Peter Cole and Rumi biographer Brad Gooch, on timeless and timely Middle Eastern poetry and mysticism. This event is free and open to the public.

From Trump to Putin to Erdogan to Duterte, the world is experiencing a global love affair with fascism. What role can art play in combating political repression and populist demagoguery?... Read More

Inspired by William Gibson’s literary work on cyberpunk — participants will examine and learn new forms of storytelling such as virtual reality and interactive stories, followed by a workshop on podcasting... Read More

This interactive two-part program will engage New York City teens on issues of gender and power and their impact on their daily lives. The program will feature panels and performances exploring topics from modern beauty standards and their connection to self-esteem to a conversation celebrating local teen activists and their impact on the City. Co-presented with the Apollo Women of the World Festival. This event is free, reservations available via the "buy tickets" button.

The follies of nationalism and art in the former Yugoslavia, both at home and in exile. With Dubravka Ugresic, Aleksandar Hemon, and Igor Stiks. Hosted by the Cooper Union Office of Continuing Education and Public Programs

Liza Donnelly of The New Yorker brings together editorial cartoonists Roz Chast, Liana Finck, Rayma Suprani and Emily Flake to discuss the unique challenges of succeeding in a male-dominated field.

The map of North and Central America is marked with the deaths of hundreds of thousands of migrants and refugees who have tried to escape their circumstances and seek a... Read More

Learn new writing techniques at two workshops hosted by the Bronx Council of the Arts' Bronx Writers Center and PEN World Voices Festival. Instructed by Nancy Morejon. This event is free, reservations available via the "buy tickets" button.

A chance to get to know the humans behind the news headlines - hear firsthand stories by DREAMers written under the guidance of Alvaro Enrigue.

Renowned comic artists who put the graphic in graphic art talk and illustrate the limits of obscenity, with renowned graphic artists Gengoroh Tagame, Simon Hanselmann, and Julia Gfrörer. Moderated by Jennifer Camper.

Come out to the Union Square Greenmarket and hear incredible poets read! With participants from the Worker Writers School in Kingston, participants from the PEN America-Worker Writers School, and their... Read More

In late 2016, The Corrections Corporation of America changed its name to CoreCivic - a deliberate re-branding of a for-profit company noted for high recidivism, as well as its lobbying efforts to build new prison facilities and affect legislation toward growth. The makeover increases marketing toward post-release prison facilities and detention centers for those awaiting deportation. The PEN Prison Writing Program presents this public and private look at a private prison profiteer – the impact of its language and perception. Hosted by the Cooper Union Office of Continuing Education and Public Programs

An exploration of social justice, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and race by important authors for Children and Young Adults, with Renee Watson, Lilliam Rivera, Natalie Diaz, and Gabby Rivera. Moderated by Teen Vogue’s Lauren Duca. This event is free, reservations available via the "buy tickets" button.

Learn new writing techniques at two workshops hosted by the Bronx Council of the Arts' Bronx Writers Center and PEN World Voices Festival. With Morgan Parker. This event is free, reservations available via the "buy tickets" button.

Drawing a life can be a radical act if you are a woman, an immigrant, or anyone whose experience exists outside of patriarchal norms. With renowned graphic artists Sandrine Revel... Read More

The United States incarcerates more of its citizens than any other nation in the world and the number of women in U.S. prisons has been increasing at a rate that is 50% higher than men since 1980. More than 60% of women in state prisons have a child under the age of 18. What are the impact of these statistics on our communities and on women’s emotional, physical, and political selves? What can be done to steer awareness toward actions and strategies to counter the policies and laws that have created these realities? What opportunities and support can women access upon release? With Piper Kerman, Christine Pahigian, and Vivian Nixon. Moderated by Kate Landon. Hosted by the Cooper Union Office of Continuing Education and Public Programs

Performances of poetry workshopped with Mark Nowak and members of Domestic Workers United, the Retail Action Project, Taxi Drivers Alliance, the Street Vendors Project, and the Workers Justice Center.

Nancy Morejón fearlessly takes on ethnicity, gender, history, politics, Afro-Cuban identity, and the collision of cultures in the “New World” with her poetry. This reading and meet-the-poet talk with one of the first Cuban women to celebrate blackness in poetry will be set against the backdrop of the Bronx Museum’s Wild Noise/Ruido Salvaje exhibition, a survey of Cuban artists both on the island and abroad grappling with issues of identity, community, and the urban experience. This event is free, reservations available via the "buy tickets" button.

Artists provoke and enlighten by giving voice to perspectives in our world that might otherwise remain unseen. Artistic investigations of contemporary attitudes and norms have been embedded in the forefront of movements for social justice, civil rights, and equity for marginalized voices throughout history. What roles do art and gender play in creating social justice locally and globally? With Ana Oliveria, Jessica Greer, Hafizah Geter, and Giannina Braschi. Hosted by the Cooper Union Office of Continuing Education and Public Programs

Lev Rubinstein, poet, essayist and patriarch of Moscow conceptualism, has always made cultural allusions and quotations a part of his literary art. He sings the Soviet musical canon from the 1930s -1960s, most of which was released on 78 rpm records. Rubinstein, along with several Soviet generations, grew up listening this music on the radio; it penetrated the fabric of their lives. These songs in his interpretations are not ordinary remakes, they are a part of his conceptualism as well - the cultural references and quotations of the bygone world. Tickets for this event are free, make a reservation via the "buy tickets" button.

Mo Rocca, Djiboutian novelist Abdourahman Waberi, Bosnian-born novelist Aleksandar Hemon, Russian and American journalist Masha Gessen, and others discuss state powers that often out-satirizes fiction. (Sponsored by Greenlight Bookstore.) Moderated by Elissa Schappell.

Poetic battles, called Sheyr Jangi in Afghanistan, has roots in the early medieval Central Asian Courts. For this event, we pay homage to this tradition—but with a twist. Our “deck” of... Read More

What is the unchallenged perception of a Muslim-American woman? Who gets to decide what images and narratives about women dominate the public discourse, the media, and the literary world? Is the hijab a fashion accessory, an expression of one’s faith, or trending iconography? Is a focus on the hijab reductive? Co-presented with the Apollo Women of the World Festival. Tickets for this event are free, reservations are available via the "buy tickets" button.

This WOW conversation celebrates what it means to be an Afro Latina and explores the intersectionality of her identity. This panel will also address the multilayered impact of racism on the lives of Afro Latinas across the Spanish-speaking African Diaspora, from socio-economic status to education and healthcare access to representation in media and politics. With Dr. Marta Moreno Vega, Nancy Morejon, Magdalena Albizu, and more. Presented with the Apollo Women of the World Festival. Co-presented by the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute. This event is free, reservations available through the "buy tickets" button.

Nine Plays From Five Continents The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center presents World Voices: International Play Festival 2017. As part of the 2017 PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature,... Read More

This year's lecture will be two-part: leading Russian and American journalist and author Masha Gessen will give a short lecture followed by a longer conversation with Samantha Bee, host of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.