Fearless writers and advocates gathered last night in New York City at the PEN America annual Literary Gala to celebrate those who dare to dream for a world of equality and freedom of expression.
The starry bash at the landmark Natural History Museum saw an abundance of appreciation for individuals leading the way with foot-in-front-of-the-other persistence.
Illustrious champions for free expression, including Sarah Jessica Parker, Macmillan Publishers CEO Jon Yaged, and Wesleyan University President Michael Roth, were feted at the starry bash hosted by Amber Ruffin.
Guests flourished in the favorable environment and had a whale of time in the museum’s grand hall that is famously decked out in aquatic panoramas. They toasted the heroes leading the charge for a better planet, all by using the power of the mighty word to make a difference.
The night began with a ferociously funny and fiery Ruffin welcoming guests with a splendid showcase of wit. Her appropriate tone for the night rose loudly for the occasion. An audience of true and tried thinkers together in unison approved of her opening remarks.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 15: Amber Ruffin speaks onstage during the 2025 PEN America Literary Gala at American Museum of Natural History on May 15, 2025, in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for PEN America)
“Free speech is something we have to fight for,” Ruffin stated. “We can joke about it – until we can’t. That’s the reality of where we’re at right now.”
More than three dozen author served as literary hosts at each of the gala tables including Jodi Picoult and Dinaw Mengestu, both PEN America trustees and literary co-chairs of the gala, along with well known novelists, essayists, journalists, and biographers, among them Amy Tan, Nikole Hannah-Jones, Judy Blume, Robert Caro, Nina Burleigh, Rebecca Yarros, Gary Shteyngart, Susan Choi, Michael Cunningham, Charles Blow, Meg Wolitzer, Ali Velshi, and many more.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 15: Judy Blume and Sarah Jessica Parker attend the 2025 PEN America Literary Gala at American Museum of Natural History on May 15, 2025, in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for PEN America)
Those who were there to be honored took the center stage throughout the lavish dinner to shine a radiating light on their advocacy. Rousing applause echoed throughout the venue over and over again. The thrilling night was purposeful and, like gems in a treasure chest, sparkled with hope. To hear their words was to feel a revolutionary battle cry to slash back at oppression happening around the globe.
When at the podium to accept the EN/Audible Literary Service Award, Parker was proclaimed an “indispensable defender” of the freedom to read, as book bans run rampant through public schools. She was cited for capturing the crisis of censorship in The Librarians, the powerful documentary film she executive-produced about librarians facing the onslaught of book censorship from conservative activists.
Parker was also recognized for uplifting underrepresented voices through her publishing imprint SJP Lit. Since 2021, PEN America has documented more than 16,000 instances of book bans nationwide— censorship unseen since the Red Scare of the 1950s.
“Today, as a publisher, a parent, and a reader still astonished and in awe of what books can do, I’m deeply concerned, no exasperated, no, this occasion calls for a precise word, I am enraged about the rising tide of book bans in public school libraries, community libraries, and the recent ban of books at the U.S. Naval Academy library.”
Going on, Parker continued, “To censor a book is to limit imagination, curiosity, connection, empathy, and inspiration. Libraries aren’t just buildings with shelves, they are… sanctuaries of possibility.”
Notable remarks throughout the entire gala left attendees with deeper inspiration to remain vigilant against oppression.
“This isn’t just a dangerous time for writers—this is a dangerous time for democracy. We see fear spreading – not just among those under direct attack, but among so many who hear the message loud and clear: Stay quiet, or YOU could be next,” PEN America’s Interim Co-CEO Summer Lopez said when referring to the current upheaval happening in every corner of the planet. “At PEN America, we refuse to stay quiet. We know what happens when people and institutions obey in advance. So we do not flinch—we do the work.”
Another highlight of the night included Jon Yaged, chief executive officer of Macmillan Publishers. Receiving the Business Visionary award for his decades-long commitment to publishing diverse authors, combating book bans, and igniting a lifelong love of reading in young people; a tribute to Wesleyan University President Michael Roth with the PEN/Benenson Courage Award for standing up to government assaults on higher education as well as for his commitment to academic freedom; and father and sister of the jailed Egyptian poet, lyricist and pro-democracy activist Galal El-Behairy being honored with a standing ovation and a call to action for his release.
“As an organization committed to free expression, nothing speaks more to PEN America’s roots as a literary organization than this award,” PEN America trustee Dinaw Mengestu unveiled. “It’s through stories, poems, essays, songs, through the particular details of one writer’s voice and imagination, that we find our way to the universal, that we get a glimpse into this fragile, shared humanity of ours.”
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible.
Learn more at pen.org.