"PEN is a guardian of freedom of expression, and... an international force in the encouragement of writing... "
Nadine Gordimer, International Vice-President
PEN's aim has always been to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers across all frontiers. In the aftermath of the First World War it caught the mood of the times. Internationalism has remained central to PEN's ideals:
- emphasising the role of the written word in the development of world culture
- defending world culture from threats to free expression
Is the PEN really mightier than the sword? The lengths to which governments and others go to prevent writers wielding their pens provide some persuasive evidence. Today there are around 150 centres in more than a hundred countries. All are run independently and have local rules, but each centre and all its members must subscribe to the PEN Charter. The small international secretariat is still based in London, although the current president is the Czech writer Jiri Grusa who now lives in Austria.