Writers Withdraw from PEN America Festival, Citing Inadequate Gaza Response

Prominent authors, including Naomi Klein, have pulled out of the PEN World Voices Festival, protesting the organization's neutral stance on the Gaza crisis.

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.