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PEN America President Resigns Over Contested BDS Report

7/13/2026

42 8 Full Breakdown

Summary

Mengestu Resigns

Dinaw Mengestu resigned as PEN America president in July 2026 after objecting to the July 9 report “A Silent Moratorium.”
The report from Lisa Tobin, Geraldine Baum and a third author relied on interviews with over 30 writers.
Mengestu warned the report could portray the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement as discriminatory, which PEN America rejected.
Board EVP Tracy Higgins will serve as president while members vote on a new leader.

Summary

PEN America Dismisses

PEN America received Israeli government funding for its literary festival for five years, ending in 2017.
After an employee published an article criticizing Zionism, PEN America investigated and dismissed the employee.
A scathing open letter denouncing PEN’s double standards attracted more than 1,300 signatories.
PEN Canada responded to the resignation by offering the writer membership, which he accepted.

History

Historical Context

Founded in 1922 to protect writers after World I, PEN America accepted a $250,000 Israeli grant in 1970—12 % of its $2.1 million festival budget—that sparked protests from 45 member nations. Decades later, author withdrawals over its Gaza-war stance and a $100,000 emergency fund led to Dinaw Mengestu’s July 2026 resignation, reviving the funding-bias controversy.

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Mengestu Resigns

Dinaw Mengestu resigned as PEN America president in July 2026 after objecting to the July 9 report “A Silent Moratorium.”
The report from Lisa Tobin, Geraldine Baum and a third author relied on interviews with over 30 writers.
Mengestu warned the report could portray the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement as discriminatory, which PEN America rejected.
Board EVP Tracy Higgins will serve as president while members vote on a new leader.

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