PEN America gala raises $2M

PEN America said its annual Literary Gala in New York on Thursday raised more than $2 million for the free-expression group as speakers used the event to focus attention on book bans and censorship. The May 14 dinner at the American Museum of Natural History honored novelist Ann Patchett with the PEN/Audible Literary Service Award and film producer Jason Blum with the Business Visionary Award, according to PEN America. More than 600 writers, publishers, journalists and arts figures attended, the organization said. Patchett and Blum both used their remarks to address pressure on books, libraries and writers, according to PEN America and Associated Press coverage. ### Why was PEN America’s gala tied so closely to book bans? PEN America said the gala came at a time of “mounting censorship,” and the group has made book removals in U.S. public schools a central part of its advocacy work. On its banned-books tracker, PEN America says it has documented nearly 23,000 book bans in public schools since 2021. (pen.org) The American Library Association reported in April that 4,235 unique titles were challenged in 2025, the second-highest total it has recorded. The association said its Office for Intellectual Freedom compiles those figures from reports by library workers and community members, and AP reported this spring that book bans and attempted bans remained at record highs. ### What did Ann Patchett say from the stage? (pen.org) Ann Patchett told the audience to “take a breath” and look outward from the immediate political fight over books, according to AP coverage of the event. In remarks cited by multiple outlets, she pointed to the museum setting and said readers and writers should “marvel that people still want to write books, and that we want to read them.” (ala.org) The Associated Press reported that Patchett’s speech came on a night otherwise centered on free expression and the threats facing books. PEN America had announced in December that Patchett, author of “Bel Canto” and “The Dutch House,” would receive the PEN/Audible Literary Service Award at the 2026 gala. (2822news.com) ### What role did Jason Blum play at a literary fundraiser? Jason Blum, the founder and chief executive of Blumhouse, was the gala’s Business Visionary honoree, PEN America said when it announced the event in December. PEN said Blum was selected for his support of storytelling and free expression across film and media. AP coverage said Blum was among the featured speakers on Thursday night as the organization raised money for its advocacy and programs. (2822news.com) PEN America’s post-event release also listed him among the honorees at the gathering of literary and entertainment figures. ### Who else was in the room? (pen.org) PEN America said more than 600 guests attended the gala in New York City. The organization’s release described the crowd as including writers, publishers, journalists, and arts and entertainment figures. Associated Press coverage named Amy Tan, Walter Isaacson and Rebecca Yarros as table hosts. (2822news.com) PEN America’s earlier event announcement also said novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie would co-chair the gala with Colette Bennett and Karen Mehiel. ### Where do the censorship numbers come from? (pen.org) The American Library Association’s latest figures cover challenges reported during 2025 and were released during National Library Week in April 2026. The group said 4,235 unique titles were challenged last year, just below the 4,240 titles it recorded in 2023, its highest annual total. PEN America tracks a different measure focused on public-school removals and says its running total since 2021 is nearly 23,000 bans. (cenlanow.com) Because the two groups use different methodologies and scopes, their numbers are not directly interchangeable; that comparison is an inference based on each organization’s published descriptions of what it counts. ### What comes next after the gala night? (ala.org) PEN America said the money raised supports its advocacy and programming on free expression, including work involving writers, journalists and censorship. The group’s gala materials and post-event release remain available through its website, and the American Library Association’s 2026 censorship report is also public. (pen.org) May 14 was this year’s gala date, and PEN America’s next public updates on book bans are likely to come through its banned-books tracker and related reports, while the American Library Association typically publishes its annual State of America’s Libraries report each spring. (pen.org 1) (pen.org 2)