Overview

• Several prominent writers withdrew from the PEN World Voices Festival, criticizing PEN America's 'inadequate' response to the Gaza crisis.
• The writers' protest letter accuses PEN of betraying its commitment to free expression by remaining neutral amid the Gaza conflict.
• Cultural institutions and individuals in Gaza, including journalists and writers, have been targeted and killed, intensifying the call for PEN America to take a stand.
• The controversy highlights growing divisions in the literary world over how to address the Gaza war, with comparisons drawn to PEN's active stance on the war in Ukraine.
• PEN America has expressed concern for the violence but faces criticism for not doing enough to support Palestinian writers and culture.