Pen America chief resigns, accuses literary institution of erasing Palestinians

Pen America chief resigns, accuses literary institution of erasing Palestinians Submitted by Yasmine El-Sabawi on Mon, 07/13/2026 - 18:26 Dinaw Mengestu cited Pen's anti-BDS stance, arguing that boycotts of Israeli creatives is a form of protected free speech Former Pen America president Dinaw Mengestu speaks on stage during the organisation's 2026 spring literary gala at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, on 14 May 2026 (Craig Barritt/Getty Images via AFP) Off After just seven months in the role, the president of one of the foremost US literary organisations resigned last week over what he described as the unfair treatment of Palestinians compared to Israelis and Jewish Americans. Dinaw Mengestu, a celebrated Ethiopian-American novelist , exited the top job at Pen America on Thursday after the group published a report about the emotional toll on Israeli and Jewish-American writers after the fallout from Israel's nearly three-year-long genocide in Gaza. Many reported losing jobs or career opportunities.