A number of our members and other Scottish poets have written poems in response to the current conflict, and have kindly given permission for them to be shared here. Scottish PEN invites further poetic and literary responses to the poems.

Lizzie Eldridge, the chair of Scottish PEN’s Writers At Risk Committee, was recently interviewed by Palestine International Broadcast in her capacity as a writer and activist.  The discussion covered many aspects as the horrors taking place in Gaza, including the recent arrest for protesting in Edinburgh of award-winning Scottish screenwriter, Paul Laverty, the targeting of journalists […]

Ken Loach and Paul Laverty standing in solidarity with activists at the Edinburgh Film Festival Today, 26 August, 2025, Scottish PEN released the statement below on the arrest of award-winning Scottish screenwriter Paul Laverty, giving its full support to him and other writers and citizens who would exercise their rights to freedom of expression and […]

In a Scottish PEN event held at The Ark in Glasgow on 16th August 2025, Eman Al Haj Ali talks about her recent experiences in Gaza and the deliberate targeting of Palestinian journalists.

Scottish PEN is supporting the Scottish Poetry Library in the presentation of two events in August.

30 June 2025 – English PEN, Scottish PEN, Wales PEN Cymru and PEN International are deeply concerned by the UK government’s proposal to proscribe the protest group Palestine Action under terrorism legislation. We urge the authorities to reconsider this step and to ensure full respect for the rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful […]

Scottish PEN condemns the recent police raid on the Quaker Meeting House, central London, on Thursday 27th March 2025. This raid and the subsequent arrest of 6 young women is deplorable and constitutes a violation of human rights, freedom of expression, the right to protest and is, additionally, a violation of a place of worship.

Join Scottish writers reading international writers struggling against oppression and sharing their own work at this free International Women’s Day event, 7th March 2025

On Saturday, 25 January, The Times published an article by senior news reporter Marc Horne, regarding the release of security service files that have recently been opened and placed in the UK National Archives at Kew. These documents disclosed that MI5 and the police monitored James Findlay (JF) Hendry, the poet, editor and writer for decades over […]