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Dissident Poets: I AM NEDA

On Tuesday, February 16, PEN USA presented a special evening of poetry at the Hammer Museum in Westwood with work inspired by the events in Iran last summer. In association with Iranian-American poet Sholeh Wolpé, author of "I Am Neda," we collected dozens of poems by prominent poets in support of those who speak out for freedom around the world.

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The 2010 Emerging Voices Fellows are Monica Carter, Natashia Deón, Lorene Garrett, Simone Kang and Bev Magennis. This year has been an amazing journey with these five talented writers. Please join us in celebrating the completion of their fellowship with a reading and reception at the Hammer Museum.

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On Wednesday, December 2, the Beverly Hills Hotel's Crystal Ballroom was the place to be for the literary and entertainment elite when PEN USA's 19th Annual Literary Awards Festival celebrated the freedom to write and honored the best writing in the west with a gala dinner and festivities.

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PEN USA is pleased to announce the recipients of the Emerging Voices Fellowship for 2010: 

Monica Carter was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and now resides in Los Angeles, California. She is currently working on Eating the Apple, a literary novel set in Manhattan during the 1930s. Eating the Apple is Carter's first novel.

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2009 Literary Awards

PEN USA is proud to announce the winners of the 2009 Literary Awards. Honoring outstanding work by writers in 10 separate genres, the prizes will be presented at the 19th Annual Literary Awards Festival (also known as LitFest), which will be held at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Wednesday, December 2, 2009 at 6:30pm.

This year’s winners are:

     Fiction:  KIM BARNES, A Country Called Home (Alfred A. Knopf)

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Algonquin West Hollywood Literary Award Soiree

On Saturday, October 3rd, at 7 pm, the Algonquin West Hollywood Literary Award Soiree will be held at the Pacific Design Center, 8687 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood, CA 90069. This event will honor the literary achievements of PEN member Aimee Liu and is a benefit for our PEN in the Classroom Program.