PEN Award for Charlie Hebdo Causes Controversy Among Authors

The PEN America Center, an organization dedicated to promoting literature and free speech, is being criticized by some of its members for giving its annual Freedom of Expression Courage Award to Charlie Hebdo, the satirical French newspaper that was attacked by gunmen earlier this year. The authors Teju Cole, Rachel Kushner, Michael Ondaatje, Francine Prose, Peter Carey, and Taiye Selasi have pulled out from next week’s PEN’s gala in response. Although the withdrawing authors condemned the murders, they questioned giving an award to a paper that many find offensive to religious groups and the Muslim community in France. “A hideous crime was committed, but was it a freedom-of-speech issue for PEN America to be self-righteous about?” asked Australian novelist Peter Carey.

In response, Salman Rushdie — who was famously targeted for murder for his novel The Satanic Verses — called the six novelists “horribly wrong.”

If PEN as a free-speech organisation can’t defend and celebrate people who have been murdered for drawing pictures, then frankly the organisation is not worth the name. What I would say to both Peter and Michael and the others is, I hope nobody ever comes after them.

Rushdie and other authors took to Twitter to discuss the controversy:

@JohnTheLeftist @NickCohen4 The award will be given. PEN is holding firm. Just 6 pussies. Six Authors in Search of a bit of Character.

 — @salmanrushdie

(Rushdie later apologized for using the sexist word “pussies.”)

You wanna talk about censorship and freedom without a power analysis of how publishing works in the US, you're missing a huge puzzle piece

 — @djolder

It is neither "courageous" or "cowardly" to be a table host at a gala. Let's not take the discussion away from the real issues here.

 — @pkhakpour

Debating Charlie Hebdo furthers the goals of award and raises profile of award for next year. Losing battle if that is your fight. 4/4

 — @dejiridoo

@likaluca "I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it." --Voltaire

 — @robspillman

@likaluca CHarlie Hebdo is like the ratchet-ass family member who constantly says/does sh** that makes people want to beat his ass.

 — @daviesmandel

None of us must endorse #CharlieHebdo's cartoons to affirm the principle of #freeexpression for which they stand: http://www.pen.org/blog/rejecting-assassins-veto ...

 — @penamerican