Nine out of ten nominees for the prestigious $75,000 PEN/Jean Stein Book Award opted to withdraw their works from contention.
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The decision to cancel the awards ceremony which was due to be held on April 29 and scheduled to take place in New York City was made public on Monday (AP photo)
PEN America has announced the cancellation of its esteemed 2024 awards ceremony after a significant number of writers withdrew their works in protest against the organization’s biased stance on the war on Gaza, the Time magazine reports.
The awards ceremony which was due to be held on April 29 and was scheduled to take place in New York City. The cancellation of the event was made public on Monday. Among the nominees, 28 out of the 61 authors and translators withdrew their books from consideration this year, citing PEN America’s visible bias against Palestinian writers.
Of particular significance, nine out of ten nominees for the prestigious $75,000 PEN/Jean Stein Book Award opted to withdraw their works from contention.
this is who @PENamerica has chosen to host their already-embattled awards ceremony pic.twitter.com/5iT49xbpMd
— nick glastonbury (@nsglastonbury) April 21, 2024
Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf, PEN America’s Literary Programming Chief Officer, expressed respect for the writers’ decisions in a press release on Monday and acknowledged their commitment to their principles. But she also regretted that the situation has overshadowed the remarkable work recognized by esteemed judges across various categories.
Read more: Prominent writers boycott PEN World Voices Festival over Gaza
Since its inception in 1963, the annual awards ceremony has celebrated exceptional literary achievements spanning fiction, poetry, children’s literature, and drama.
According to the report, this particular protest highlights mounting dissatisfaction within the literary community over PEN America’s response to the ongoing genocide in Gaza, now nearing its 200th day. Over 1,300 writers and poets have urged PEN America to speak out on behalf of Palestinians with the same fervor they exhibit for banned books in the US.
PEN America’s silence on the genocide in Palestine caused so many authors to reject the organisation that its Literary Awards ceremony has been cancelled.
The largest prize, the Jean Stein award, will be given to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund at the instruction of her…
— Palestine Festival of Literature (@PalFest) April 22, 2024
On April 17, 30 nominated writers and translators issued an open letter demanding the resignations of PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel, President Jennifer Finney Boylan, and the entire Executive Committee.
Today, 21 of the withdrawing authors sent a letter of refusal to @PENAmerica’s managing directors, board liaison, President Jennifer Boylan, & CEO Suzanne Nossel. Nine additional prize nominees signed in support & pledged winnings to Gaza. Read the letter: https://t.co/0ZBjVsafbP pic.twitter.com/xzdt1ASWoT
— Writers Against the War on Gaza (@wawog_now) April 17, 2024
Concerns have also been raised regarding PEN America’s upcoming World Voices Festival, scheduled to take place from May 8 to 11 in New York City and May 8 to 18 in Los Angeles. Last month, several prominent writers withdrew from the festival in solidarity.
In response to the boycott, PEN America published the names of its 2024 finalists and winners online. The organization is deliberating on how to allocate funds for each award on a case-by-case basis.
The report further notes that the estate of Jean Stein has directed PEN America to donate the $75,000 prize money to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. Novelist Maya Binyam expressed gratitude for the solidarity among authors, the support from PEN staff, and the leadership of Jean Stein, as it reflects a hopeful vision for Gaza.
