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PEN Full Form

PEN Full Form

Edited By Team Careers360 | Updated on Jan 05, 2023 12:53 PM IST

What is the full form of PEN?

PEN abbreviation is used for Poets, Essayists, And Novelists. Nowadays, it is used for Poets, Playwrights, Editors, Essayists, Novelists. It is a group of creative writers with different styles. A poet is someone who uses language to craft lyrical, often short, poems. Novelists are writers who create long fiction stories based on a given topic or issue. Essayists use language to explore a given topic or issue in depth. PEN is a community of writers which was founded in London around 1921 with the motive of promoting friendship and intellectual cooperation among writers everywhere around the globe.

PEN Full Form
PEN Full Form

History of PEN

The first PEN Club meeting was held at the Florence Restaurant in London on October 5, 1912, and John Galsworthy was made its first president. The first early members included many famous writers of that time, like Elizabeth Craig, George Bernard Shaw, Joseph Conrad, and H. G. Wells.

PEN was initially used for "Poets, Essayists, Novelists." However, now it is used for more diverse and broad terms for "Poets, Playwrights, Editors, Essayists, Novelists" and includes writers from any form of literature like journalists and historians.

Objectives

The PEN club was established for the following aims:

  • To form a world association of writers and literature enthusiasts that would discuss and emphasise the crucial role of literature in the development of world culture and,

  • To encourage intellectual cooperation and understanding among writers;

  • To guard literature against the threats to its use and survival that the modern world poses.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Where is the PEN community headquarters located?

London is the headquarters of the PEN International community.

2. Who is the current president of the PEN international community?

The current president is Burhan Sönmez.

3. What is the criteria for a writer to be a PEN community member?

In order to become a member of PEN, an author must have published at least two books, the first of which must be of considerable literary merit.

4. When is the Day of the Imprisoned Writer observed around the world?

The day of the Imprisoned Writer is observed each year on November 15. This day was started in 1981 by PEN International.

5. Who funds PEN International?

PEN International is a non-profit NGO that is funded by a number of individuals, companies, and organisations.

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