Scottish PEN

Scottish PEN is a centre of PEN International and not-for-profit organisation that champions freedom of expression and literature across borders.

We are a membership organisation and work with a range of writers, campaigners, activists and communities across Scotland and around the world.

Find out more about us.

All members of Scottish PEN subscribe to the PEN Charter.

Scottish Parliament votes to pass the Defamation and Malicious Publications Bill

Read Scottish PEN's response to yesterday's unanimous vote to pass new defamation law in Scotland.

PENning magazine online reading event

Join our Writers in Exile Committee and a variety of published writers as we hear readings from PENning magazine.

International Women's Day event

The Scottish PEN Women Writers Committee invites you to a free event celebrating International Women's Day on Monday 8th March.

Legal threats against actor David Paisley are disproportionate and deeply troubling

Scottish PEN argues that defamation law should be not be used by those in positions of power as a means of silencing fair comment or criticism.

Anonymous survey asks writers to share experience of defamation threats

A new survey from Scottish PEN and the University of Strathclyde is seeking to establish the impact that Scottish defamation law has on writers, publishers and social media users.

Call for transparency on UK Government FOI process

Carl MacDougall, President of Scottish PEN, and Lisa Clark, Project Manager, have signed a letter from Open Democracy, calling for investigation and greater transparency around the UK Government's handling of Freedom of Information requests, in response to concerns around 'blacklisting' and threats to press freedom.

Book shop: Purchase Declarations now

Featuring short fiction and poetry from over fifty writers in Scotland and across the globe, the anthology celebrates the power of the written and spoken word and the radical potential of reading.

Buy now