{"id":5858,"date":"2025-04-25T12:29:31","date_gmt":"2025-04-25T09:29:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pen-greece.org\/?p=5858"},"modified":"2025-04-25T12:29:31","modified_gmt":"2025-04-25T09:29:31","slug":"pen-international-young-writers-committee-a-new-chapter-in-youth-engagement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pen-greece.org\/en\/pen-international-young-writers-committee-a-new-chapter-in-youth-engagement\/","title":{"rendered":"PEN International Young Writers Committee: A New Chapter in Youth Engagement"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Image Credit: Roberk Brooks<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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24 April 2025: PEN International is proud to launch its Young Writers Committee, a global network of young writers, creatives, and cultural changemakers dedicated to amplifying youth voices and defending freedom of expression, with representatives from PEN Centres worldwide.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0The PEN International Young Writers Committee<\/a> seeks to challenge isolation and marginalisation by fostering literary solidarity, mentorship, and advocacy. At a time when civic spaces are shrinking and threats to free expression are increasing, it aims to build bridges across divides, creating platforms for young voices to be heard and supported. Inspired by PEN International\u2019s legacy and PEN Norway\u2019s Tomorrow Club<\/a>, a network amplifying young voices, the Young Writers Committee<\/a> believes in the power of writing to drive change, connecting people across borders and generations. It calls on donors, institutions, and senior writers to stand in solidarity and support the next generation of storytellers in shaping a fairer, more inclusive world.<\/p>\n

The roots of PEN International’s youth engagement date back a century to the To-Morrow Club, founded by writer Catherine Amy Dawson Scott, as a space for young writers to connect with established authors and publishers. This initiative laid the foundation for PEN International.<\/p>\n

In the 1930s, Young PEN emerged, with Bertrand Russell as one of its first presidents. Over the decades, various youth projects took shape within PEN, but there was no unified effort to address declining youth participation and an ageing membership. Recognising this gap, PEN International created new spaces for young voices to collaborate and help shape the future of the organisation and the broader PEN movement.<\/p>\n

The Young Writers Committee was officially established at PEN International\u2019s 90th Congress<\/strong><\/a>. As PEN International’s first new Standing Committee in 35 years, it is now actively developing initiatives to enhance youth collaboration, amplify young voices, and increase the impact of PEN International and the PEN movement, alongside Tomorrow Club<\/a>, its platform spotlighting young storytellers across borders. A core steering group of 10 young representatives\u2014five men and five women, two from each region, and all under the age of 35\u2014is spearheading these efforts. Drawing on more than a century of PEN International\u2019s legacy, the Committee is dedicated to strengthening the PEN movement in the face of growing global challenges, including transnational repression, deepening societal divisions, and mounting threats to free expression. Its establishment marks a historic step forward, ensuring that young voices play a vital role in shaping PEN International’s future.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Young Writers Committee\u2019s social media:<\/strong>
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