P.E.N. American Center Records

The P.E.N. American Center Records consist of files created by P.E.N. American Center as part of its regular business operations. They document the history and activities of the center since its foundation in 1922.The collection contains files documenting the center's literary awards, grants and financial aid given by the center, program files, and files pertaining to the center's advocacy for freedom of expression. Further included are files that document the center's decision-making processes and policies, including executive and committee files, fundraising files, and membership files. The conference files and files on other branches and centers document P.E.N. American Center's role in International P.E.N. and its interactions with organizations of P.E.N. worldwide. In addition, the collection contains audiovisual material and publications created by or under the auspices of P.E.N. American Center.The collection is especially notable for its documentation of authors' and editors' creative processes and intellectual leanings, manifest in the executive correspondence files and the manuscripts and committee files that pertain to the center's literary awards.