PEN Awards axed after numerous authors pull out

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/04/2024 (846 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

PEN America’s 2024 Literary Awards ceremony has been cancelled due to criticism by authors surrounding the response (or lack thereof) by organizers to the crisis in Gaza.

On the organization’s website, PEN America says it “stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide.”

But in February, over 1,200 writers signed an open letter condeming PEN America’s lack of an official statement about the crisis in Gaza, including the reported deaths of over 200 authors in the area, according to Publishers Weekly.

In early April, PEN America awards-nominated authors began withdrawing their books from consideration for the prizes. The event, which was to be held in New York on April 29, was axed after 28 authors, including nine of the 10 in contention for the organization’s US$75,000 PEN/Jean Stein Book Award, withdrew their books for consideration for the organization’s prizes.

Stein’s estate has requested the monetary prize for this year’s PEN/Jean Stein Book Award be donated to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.

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David A. Robertson has spent his fair share of time at rinks throughout the city and beyond watching his kids play hockey. And now his first hockey-related book hits the ice… or book shelves, at least.

The Kodiaks: Home Ice Advantage is a middle-grade novel which follows 11-year-old Alex Robinson as he tries to fit in with his local hockey team after his family moves to the city from an Indigenous community.

Robertson launches the book at 7 p.m. tonight at McNally Robinson Booksellers’ Grant Park location, where he’ll be joined in converation with Aidan Wuerfel, a forward on the Winnipeg Blues of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (and a character in the book).

Buy on mcnallyrobinson.com

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Today (April 27) is Canadian Independent Bookstore Day, as good a time as ever to support local booksellers of all shapes, sizes and specialties.

Organized by the Canadian Independent Booksellers Association (CIBA), the event highlights local shops in communities across Canada with a range of promotions — including a contest for book lovers. CIBA is giving five readers who buy books from independent shops $200 to the store of their choice, and one lucky bookworm will win $1,000 to spend at their favourite indie shop. To enter the contest and for more information and rules, see indiebookstores.ca/cibd.

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National Poetry Month closes with the ninth Writes of Spring contest, presented by the Free Press and the Winnipeg International Writers Festival. The winning entries, selected by Ariel Gordon and Julian Day, include contributions from Joel Caples, Kate Sjoberg, Hanako Teranishi, Conni Cartlidge and more.

See pages F2-F4 of today’s Free Press for the winning entries, or hear the poets read their work at the launch tomorrow at 2 p.m. at McNally Robinson’s Grant Park location.

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Quebec author Susan Doherty’s latest novel follows two 13-year-old boys in England with an awful secret. When one of them disappears, the other must grapple with what happened to them at the hands of a Catholic priest, as connections are drawn to the dark web, online predators, child pornography and more.

Doherty launches Monday Rent Boy on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at McNally Robinson’s Grant Park location.

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Prolific author Cory Doctorow will chronicle the decline of the digital world and how we can reverse it on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Knox United Church (400 Edmonton St.).

Doctorow’s talk, called “Escaping the Enshittocene: Why Everything is Terrible & What to do About It,” is being presented by the Manitoba chapter of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Tickets are $25 plus fees and can be obtained at wfp.to/y8Z.

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ARP Books presents another free First Fridays event at their offices (205-70 Arthur St.) on May 3 from 6-9 p.m., featuring readings and discussions on visual art and literature with Hannah Godfrey (aka hannah_g, author of Critical Fictions) and Nic Wilson (author of Colossal Equine Statue) from 7-8 p.m. In addition to the chat, all ARP titles will be 20 per cent off for the evening.

books@freepress.mb.ca