Pen America chief resigns, accuses literary institution of erasing Palestinians

NEWS SUMMARY

Dinaw Mengestu resigned as president of Pen America on Thursday, accusing the literary institution of unfairly treating Palestinians and undermining their free speech rights. Mengestu stated Pen America's recent report on the emotional toll on Israeli and Jewish-American writers, and its opposition to the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement, diminished the Palestinian experience to the point of erasure.

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Submitted by Yasmine El-Sabawi on Mon, 07/13/2026 - 18:26 Dinaw Mengestu cited Pen's anti-BDS stance, arguing that boycotts of Israeli creatives is a form of protected free speech Former Pen America president Dinaw Mengestu speaks on stage during the organisation's 2026 spring literary gala at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, on 14 May 2026 (Craig Barritt/Getty Images via AFP) Off After just seven months in the role, the president of one of the foremost US literary organi

Pen America chief resigns, accuses literary institution of erasing Palestinians

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