Freedom to Write, Freedom to Read: The Story of PEN

Typed manuscript — A. Dawson Scott, “P.E.N. Club: poet playwright editor novelist,” ca. 1921. Harry Ransom Center, PEN Records 257.2.

by MARION WYNNE-DAVIES

Defending freedom of expression is a crucial issue for writers worldwide. Authors have united to fight for the freedom to write and defend readers’ rights. The most influential of these groups is PEN (originally P.E.N., an acronym for Poets, Playwrights, Editors, Essayists, and Novelists), an international organization that has championed persecuted writers and freedom of expression globally for over a hundred years. This exhibition draws on the unique collection of PEN Records held at the Harry Ransom Center to tell the story of PEN.

I constructed a narrative that leads the audience through the exhibition. We begin with the origins of PEN as a fashionable dining club in London that attracted renowned authors. However, the growth of fascism in Europe forced PEN to forgo its socialite identity and prepare for war. The story then shows us the difficulties PEN faced through World War II and the destabilization of international relations during the Cold War. The exhibition’s midpoint depicts the darkest moments in PEN’s history—those authors imprisoned or killed, symbolized by an empty chair.

Yet, the story of PEN is one of hope. We encounter writers who have championed freedom of expression: Arthur Miller, Margaret Atwood, Toni Morrison, Radclyffe Hall, and Salman Rushdie. The final room of the exhibition reminds us that threats to freedom remain, urging us to join PEN authors in celebrating the freedom to write and read.

While preparing the exhibition, it became apparent that PEN’s story is inspiring, so I asked the contributors to choose something or someone from the display that they found moving. They chose a range of items seen in the exhibition. The origin of PEN is embodied by a tweed jacket worn by founding member George Bernard Shaw. PEN’s fight during World War II is illustrated by portraits of its two most indefatigable members, Storm Jameson and Hermon Ould. The need to remain vigilant is highlighted by the Empty Chair and bare bookshelves, reminding us of imprisoned writers and the ongoing campaign against banned books. Finally, I chose Margaret Atwood to symbolize literature’s power to change the world.

The contributors included have either been involved in the exhibition’s development or are dedicated to defending the freedom to write and read. Erica Nunn-Kinias, the Associate Director for Exhibitions and Public Programs, and Joan Sibley, Archivist, both of the Harry Ransom Center, worked closely with me in choosing the items on display. Daniel Gorman, Director of English PEN, provided constant support, not least in granting access to the busts of Jameson and Ould. Finally, John Morán González and Bret Anthony Johnston, both of The University of Texas at Austin, have shown through their scholarship and creative writing how supporting freedom of expression is integral to those living and studying in Austin.

George Bernard Shaw’s Tweed Jacket

Chosen by Erica Nunn-Kinias, Associate Director for Exhibitions and Public Programs, Harry Ransom Center

Two men standing and conversing on a dirt road — George Bernard Shaw (right) was often photographed wearing woolen suits. The Ransom Center has two of his tweed suits among its extensive holdings of Shaw materials.

George Bernard Shaw was one of PEN’s first members. Among the Ransom Center’s extensive collection of Shaw’s manuscripts, rehearsal notes, theatre programs, lectures, and correspondence are two bespoke tweed suits of a single-breasted Norfolk-style jacket and knickerbockers worn by Shaw in the 1920s. Shaw was often photographed wearing woolen suits like this one. They were known as “Jaeger woollen clothing” after Dr. Gustav Jaeger’s “Sanitary Woollen System” of clothing, which Shaw adopted in 1885. The personal belongings of early PEN members bring life to their unique personalities and public roles. Shaw’s distinctive woolen suits are no exception.

Portraits of Storm Jameson & Hermon Ould

Chosen by Daniel Gorman, Director, English PEN

Portraits of Storm Jameson and Herman Ould — PEN’s fight during World War II is illustrated by portraits of its two most indefatigable members, Storm Jameson (left) and Hermon Ould.

Storm Jameson and Hermon Ould are commemorated with two busts that sit in my office here in London. At the same time, the exhibition rightly foregrounds their importance because their efforts during World War II should be known more widely. As the displays show, Jameson and Ould fought tirelessly to support displaced writers and champion freedom of expression in the face of rising fascism. Their story shows that the battle to save persecuted writers is still relevant today.

Mervyn Peake Invitation for Hermon Ould’s Celebratory Dinner

Chosen by Joan Sibley, Archivist, Harry Ransom Center

Drawing — PEN member Mervyn Laurence Peake (1911–1968) was an English writer, artist, and illustrator. The menu here is drawn in Peake’s typically idiosyncratic and humorous style, with a rat supporting the quill or PEN.

The exhibition item I’ve chosen was inspired by the artistry of Mervyn Peake (whose Gormenghast trilogy I enjoyed as a teenager) and a recognition of Hermon Ould’s dedication as PEN International Secretary (1926–1951). As one of two archivists who arranged and described the PEN Records, I saw hundreds of letters from PEN members around the world expressing their gratitude for Ould while sending contributions toward an anniversary gift for him. At the 1946 dinner held in his honor, Ould received a check for 1,000 guineas along with members’ appreciation for his 20 years of service to PEN and humanity.

The Empty Chair

Chosen by John Morán González, PhD, J. Frank Dobie Regents Professor of American and English Literature, Chair, Department of English | The University of Texas at Austin

An empty chair in an empty room — Photo by Ashley Park.

More than about any other human-made object, the unoccupied chair calls attention to its radical incompleteness. The absence of a person sitting in it signifies a profound void, as when a writer is prevented from exercising their craft because of detention, imprisonment, or threats of repressive violence. PEN Centers around the world remind us of this reality each year on November 15 by exhibiting an empty chair, lest we forget that those who uphold freedom of expression often do so at great personal cost. The empty chair is a call for us to return those absent to the room.

The Empty Bookshelves

Chosen by Bret Anthony Johnston, Director, The James A. Michener Center for Writers, The University of Texas at Austin

Saul Bellow—whose books are routinely banned—believed every writer is a reader moved to emulation. It’s a beautiful sentiment, not least in how it foreshadows another travesty of book bans: they snuff out not just the voices of yesterday and today, but, perhaps most menacingly, of tomorrow. It’s an insidious tactic that aborts whole generations of writers. Please take a moment to consider what banned books might be included on these shelves. Imagine thumbing their pages and memorizing the titles and authors’ names. If those who oppose free speech have their way, this is the future of literature.

Margaret Atwood

Chosen by Marion Wynne-Davies, Professor Emerita of English Literature at the University of Surrey

It has been difficult to choose only one item to highlight. So, perhaps it’s best to go back to the beginning. I first became aware of PEN and its mission to champion freedom of expression through the works of Margaret Atwood. She was the President of PEN Canada in the mid-1980s and, in 2017, was the recipient of the PEN Center USA’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Her fearless defense of the freedom to write was an inspiration for me and will be, I hope, for all who visit the exhibition.

The items listed above highlight PEN’s remarkable history, from its earliest days as a dining club, through the traumas of war and the continued threats to freedom of expression, to a sense of hope for the future of literature. I hope that you will join us in exploring how writers have defended freedom of expression and be inspired to support authors in their fight for the freedom to write and to exercise your rights to choose the books you read.

Marion Wynne-Davies, Professor Emerita of English Literature at the University of Surrey, curated the exhibition Freedom to Write, Freedom to Read: The Story of PEN.

CREDITS

A. Dawson Scott, “P.E.N. Club: poet playwright editor novelist,” ca. 1921. Harry Ransom Center, PEN Records 257.2.

Unidentified photographer, [Boxer Gene Tunney (left) and George Bernard Shaw (ca. 1920s)], AP.

Unidentified photographer, [Storm Jameson], ca. 1930s. Storm Jameson Literary File Photography Collection, 981:048:002. Harry Ransom Center.

Kurt Schwitters (German, 1887–1948), [Portrait of Herman Ould (English, 1886–1951)], 1944. Oil on wood panel, 95.3 x 81.3 cm. Kurt Schwitters Art Collection, 2000.19. Harry Ransom Center.

Mervyn Peake, [Drawing for Menu for PEN Presentation Dinner for Hermon Ould], 1946. PEN (Organization). Records, 350.6. Harry Ransom Center.

Photo by Ashley Park.

Margaret Atwood (b. 1939), Toronto, Canada, August 2018. Image courtesy of Laura Wilson.