PEN Full Form

PEN full form is Poets, Essayists, And Novelists. It is an association of poets, essayists, playwrights, and novelists, all of them having different styles of writing. Collectively it is an international organization of writers of all kinds, promoting intellectual exchanges of goodwill of the writer community. To know more about this organization, read this article.

What is the Full Form of PEN?

The full form of PEN is Poets, Essayists, and Novelists. The new full form of PEN is Poets, Playwrights, Essayists, and Novelists. PEN encourages intellectual discussions about various topics and goodwill among all the writers who are a part of the organization. It advocates for the writers’ freedom of speech regardless of their nationality, color,  religion, or the type of governmental system in which they live. 

The organization also bestows literary awards, promotes translations of literary works written in ancient or forgotten languages, hosts conferences on contemporary political-literary issues, and publishes pamphlets and bulletins. 

History of PEN 

PEN was established in London in 1921  and it has since grown to encompass writers from all around the world. On October 5, 1912, the first-ever PEN Club meeting was held at the Florence Restaurant in London, and John Galsworthy was elected as its first president. Many notable authors of that time period, including Elizabeth Craig, George Bernard Shaw, Joseph Conrad, and H. G. Wells,  were among the founding members.

The term PEN is now used for more diversified and wide categories such as "Poets, Playwrights, Editors, Essayists, and Novelists" and includes authors from across the globe from all forms of literature such as journalists and historians. The headquarters of PEN is in London, United Kingdom. It has established more than 80 branches in 60 countries worldwide.

 Objectives of PEN 

1. Encouraging worldwide literary cooperation and understanding. It involves arranging conferences, seminars, and other activities that bring together authors from all over the world.
2. Defending the right to freedom of expression. This involves standing and speaking up against censorship and other dangers to free expression. This organization also offers legal aid to writers who are being persecuted for their work.
3. Encouraging reading and literacy. This includes working with schools and libraries to promote reading and writing. PEN  also produces books and other literary and writing-related resources.
4. Encouraging intercultural interactions amongst writers. This involves organizing events that bring together writers from various cultures from across the globe. Poets, Essayists, and Novelists (PEN full form) also plays a major role in providing translations of published works by authors worldwide. 

Initiatives Taken by PEN 

• The PEN Writers in Prison Committee provides legal aid and helps to release authors who have been imprisoned because of their literary work.
• The PEN Freedom to Write Award is given to writers who have faced persecution because of their work.
• The PEN International Summer School invites writers from all over the world together to have intellectual discussions about literature and free speech.
• The PEN Translates Program, promotes translation for various languages.
• The PEN America Center for Free Expression is involved in protecting the rights of American authors and journalists.

Achievements of PEN

• After Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa, PEN International played a major role in assisting the release of Salman Rushdie from house imprisonment in England in 1986.
• PEN America started the Writers at Risk initiative in 2002, which provides financial and legal aid to writers who have been threatened or harassed for their work.
• To address the unfavorable representation of Muslims in the media, PEN International launched the #NotTheEnemy campaign in the year 2016.
• In 2020, PEN America introduced the PEN America Defense Fund to aid authors and journalists who face legal challenges as a result of their literary work. 

Written By: Mia Singh