At the 2023 Literary Gala in New York City, PEN America honored author Salman Rushdie, its former president, who accepted the PEN Centenary Courage Award in person, his first public appearance since he was severely wounded in a knife attack nine months ago. Rushdie, speaking to 700 guests at the American Museum of Natural History, said PEN America and its mission to protect free expression was never “more important” in a time of book bans and censorship and issued a call to action: “Terrorism must not terrorize us. Violence must not deter us. La lutte continue. La lutta continua. The struggle goes on.”

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