PEN World Voices Festival 2027

The PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature is an annual week-long literary festival held in New York City and Los Angeles. The festival was founded by Salman Rushdie, Esther Allen, and Michael Roberts and was launched in 2005. The festival includes events, readings, conversations, and debates that showcase international literature and new writers.

Language

English

Genres

general lit

Format

in-person

Founded

2004

Duration (days)

4

Next edition

TBA typical late Apr/early May (2026: 29 Apr – 2 May)

Author participation

Mostly invited international programme; public tickets via PEN

Audience

An extensive program of year-round events was introduced including the first public appearance of scholar Tariq Ramadan since the State Department's ban on his exclusion from the United States.

Age policy

Crossing Borders: Universal Themes in Children's Literature

Language notes

Listed working language: English

Genre notes

Primary focus: general lit

Programme

A Processional Arts Workshop opened the festival with a procession of giant bibliomorphic puppets, illuminated objects, and projections on the High Line at sundown.

Past editions

2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2017, 2018, 2024

Travel

Highlights included a performance at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that paired the Kronos Quartet with writers Tony Kushner, Marjane Satrapi and Rula Jebreal to explore the boundaries between music and literature.

Festival site