PEN America Awards Ahmed Naji Freedom to Write Award

Mar 31, 2016

Imprisoned Egyptian novelist and journalist Ahmed Naji has been named winner of the 2016 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award. Naji is the author of three books, as well as a journalist at Egyptian state-funded literary magazine Akhbar al-Adab. He was charged with “violating public modesty” in 2015 due to the sexually explicit content of an excerpt from his novel The Use of Life, and was sentenced to two years in prison in February. 

The PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award was established in 1987, and is dedicated to awarding individual writers who have fought for the right to freedom of expression. This year’s award is underwritten by The Edwin Barbey Charitable Fund, an organization co-directed by Village Voice owner Peter Barbey.

X
Stay ahead with
Tip Sheet!
Free newsletter: the hottest new books, features and more
X
X
Email Address

Password

Log In Forgot Password

Premium online access is only available to PW subscribers. If you have an active subscription and need to set up or change your password, please click here.

New to PW? To set up immediate access, click here.

NOTE: If you had a previous PW subscription, click here to reactivate your immediate access. PW site license members have access to PW’s subscriber-only website content. If working at an office location and you are not "logged in", simply close and relaunch your preferred browser. For off-site access, click here. To find out more about PW’s site license subscription options, please email Mike Popalardo at: mike@nextstepsmarketing.com.

To subscribe: click here.