PEN America gala raises $2M

PEN America said its annual Literary Gala on May 14 in New York brought in more than $2 million for the group’s free-expression advocacy and literary programs. The event at the American Museum of Natural History drew more than 600 writers, publishers, journalists and arts figures, according to the organization. Host B.J. Novak, the actor and author, opened the evening with remarks about books and human creativity. The gala honored novelist Ann Patchett, film producer Jason Blum, the Rutherford County Library Alliance in Tennessee, and two Iranian writers, Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee and Ali Asadollahi. ### Who was honored, and for what? Ann Patchett received the PEN/Audible Literary Service Award, which PEN America announced in December when it named the 2026 gala honorees. The organization cited Patchett’s fiction, nonfiction and bookselling work through Parnassus Books in Nashville. Jason Blum, founder and chief executive of Blumhouse, received the Business Visionary Award. (pen.org) PEN America said it was recognizing his film and television work, including projects that addressed racism, class, HIV/AIDS and domestic abuse. The Rutherford County Library Alliance of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, was honored for organizing against book bans and defending a fired local library director. (pen.org) Iranian writers Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee and Ali Asadollahi were also recognized; PEN America said Iraee remains in prison. ### Why did the gala center so heavily on censorship? PEN America framed the evening around attacks on free expression in the United States and abroad. In its gala release, the group pointed to mounting censorship, the jailing of writers and concerns about artificial intelligence’s effect on creativity. (pen.org) PEN America’s latest school book-ban data showed 6,870 instances of book bans in the 2024-25 school year across 23 states and 87 public school districts. Since 2021, the group says it has documented 22,810 instances of book bans in U.S. public schools. A separate PEN America report released in May found 401 writers were jailed across 44 countries in 2025, up from 375 writers in 40 countries a year earlier. (pen.org) The group said that was the first time its Freedom to Write Index recorded more than 400 imprisoned writers. ### What did B.J. Novak say onstage? B.J. Novak, who PEN America announced in April as the gala host, used his opening monologue to argue that books and in-person culture were holding their ground against fears about technology. (pen.org) PEN America quoted him as saying, “Real life is making a comeback” and “Real ideas are making a comeback. And books are at the forefront of that.” (pen.org) Novak also said bookstores, movie theaters and concerts were “booming,” according to PEN America’s account of the program. The organization presented those remarks as part of a broader defense of human creativity at a time when it says governments are trying to censor expression. (pen.org) ### Where does the money go? PEN America says the Literary Gala raises support for its advocacy and programs defending the freedom to read, write and speak. The gala page says the event funds cultural programming and free-expression work, while the organization’s main site lists book bans, writers-at-risk advocacy, literary grants, campus free speech and digital-safety work among its core areas. (pen.org) The group did not, in the materials reviewed, provide a line-by-line breakdown of how this year’s proceeds would be allocated. It did say the gala is one of its main annual fundraising events and described the 2026 edition as a success. ### Why was Ann Patchett a central figure in this year’s event? PEN America described Patchett as both a literary figure and a bookseller at a time when battles over reading access have moved into schools and libraries. (pen.org) In announcing her award, the group said her Nashville bookstore had become “a beacon for writers” and linked her recognition to a moment when writers were being banned, harassed and threatened for their words. (pen.org) That framing matched the organization’s broader public messaging this month. PEN America has continued to publish book-ban reports and censorship-related press releases in May, including a May 13 statement on book removals in Florida’s Duval County schools. ### What comes next for PEN America after the gala? PEN America’s website lists an online event, “Transcending Borders: The Art, Heart, and Business of Translation,” for May 20 at 1 p.m. (pen.org) Eastern time. It also lists “Fact to Fiction: Researching for Narrative Storytelling” for June 8 at 5 p.m. Pacific time. The organization’s gala page also points readers to follow-up material from the May 14 event, including literary hosts and photo recaps. (pen.org) PEN America said the annual gala will continue to serve as a fundraiser for its literary programs and free-expression advocacy. (pen.org)