The word SPEAKERS in bold yellow text is displayed against a black background with abstract book-like shapes.
  • A man wearing glasses and a light gray blazer sits on a bench outdoors. The background is blurred with greenery, and he looks directly at the camera with a neutral expression.

    Burhan Sönmez

    Burhan Sönmez is the author of six novels. He is president of PEN International and a Senior Member of Hughes Hall College and Trinity College, University of…

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  • An elderly man with glasses and a mustache is wearing a dark blue shirt over a white t-shirt. He stands with a relaxed expression in a softly lit, neutral-colored room.

    Carlyle Brown

    Carlyle Brown is a playwright/performer, curator and artistic director of Carlyle Brown & Company based in Minneapolis. His plays have been produced at theatres across the country…

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  • A person with long, dark hair and a thoughtful expression looks upward. They are wearing a blue shirt. The background is neutral and light, creating a serene atmosphere.

    Carmen Boullosa

    Carmen Boullosa (Mexico City, 1954) is the author of nineteen novels (The Book of Eve, and Texas: The Great Theft translated by Samantha Schnee, Before, translated by…

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  • A person with short hair and glasses smiles warmly at the camera. They are wearing a cozy striped sweater and a multicolored scarf, sitting indoors with a bookshelf in the background.

    Cece Bell

    Cece Bell is the author and illustrator of the autobiographical graphic novel, El Deafo, which chronicles her childhood experiences with hearing loss. It received a Newbery Medal,…

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  • A bearded man wearing a white T-shirt is looking at the camera in an outdoor setting. Behind him, a few colorful beehives are placed on pallets among green foliage. The weather appears to be sunny.

    Cédric Duroux

    Cédric Duroux was born in 1981. His studies in English led him to focus on the works of Robert McLiam Wilson (Eureka Street) and Armistead Maupin (Tales…

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  • A woman with long dark hair leans against a green wall, looking towards the camera with a slight smile. The background is blurred greenery, giving the image a peaceful, natural feel.

    Charmaine Craig

    Charmaine Craig is the author of the novels Miss Burma, longlisted for the 2017 National Book Award for Fiction and the 2018 Women’s Prize for Fiction; My…

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  • A person wearing a black t-shirt with text, resting their chin on their hand. They have styled hair and are wearing a vibrant, colorful skirt. The background is plain white.

    Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

    Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie grew up in Nigeria. Her work has been translated into more than fifty-five languages. She is the author of the novels Purple Hibiscus, which…

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  • Smiling man with gray hair and beard, wearing a black shirt and tie, standing in front of a blurred brick background.

    Christopher Paul Curtis

    Christopher Paul Curtis is an American and Canadian children’s book author. Curtis spent the first thirteen years after graduating from high school working on the assembly line…

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  • A black-and-white portrait of a person with long hair tied back, wearing a blazer over a shirt. They are looking at the camera with a subtle smile against a plain dark background.

    Claire Messud

    Claire Messud is the author of six works of fiction. A recipient of Guggenheim and Radcliffe Fellowships and the Strauss Living Award from the American Academy of…

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  • A woman with long, curly black hair is wearing a black top and a gold necklace. She is looking directly at the camera against a plain, light gray background.

    Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf

    Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf joined PEN America in 2015 and currently serves as the chief program officer of Literary Programming. Beginning in Nov 2024, she is also serving…

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  • An older man with a gray beard and glasses wears a maroon blazer and white shirt. He looks directly at the camera against a neutral background.

    D.J. Waldie

    D. J. Waldie is a historian of Los Angeles, a memoirist, and a translator. He has published six non-fiction books. Holy Land: A Suburban Memoir (Norton, 1996…

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  • A man with short dark hair, wearing a black jacket over a blue shirt, stands against a dark brick wall. He looks towards the camera, with a serious expression and muted lighting highlighting his face.

    Daniel Kehlmann

    Daniel Kehlmann was born in Munich in 1975. His novels and plays have won numerous prizes, including the Candide Prize, the Doderer Prize, the Kleist Prize, the…

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  • Daniela Naomi Molnar

    Daniela Naomi Molnar is a poet, artist, and writer who works with color, water, language, and place. She creates paintings using pigments made from plants, bones, stones,…

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  • A person with short, curly hair and a slight smile, wearing a light-colored sweater with dark horizontal stripes. They are standing against a vertically striped background.

    Dinaw Mengestu

    Dinaw Mengestu is the author of four novels, Someone Like Us (Knopf 2024), All Our Names (Knopf, 2014), How To Read the Air (Riverhead, 2010), and The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears (Riverhead, 2007), all New York…

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  • Smiling woman with shoulder-length brown hair and hoop earrings, wearing a dark top, against a light grey background.

    Dunya Mikhail

    Dunya Mikhail is an Iraqi American poet and writer. She is the author of the poetry collections The War Works Hard (shortlisted for the International Griffon Poetry…

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  • A person with short white hair is smiling warmly. They are wearing a red collared shirt and a necklace. The background is plain and light-colored.

    Elizabeth Levy

    Elizabeth Levy is the author of over 100 fiction and non-fiction books for children. She is often lauded for treating serious issues with humor. From children’s series…

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