Literary Awards

PEN/Faulkner
Founded by writers in 1980, and named for William Faulkner, who used his Nobel Prize funds to create an award for young writers, and PEN, the international writers’ organization, the PEN/Faulkner Foundation brings together American writers and readers in a wide variety of programs to promote a love of literature.
www.penfaulkner.org

Pen Literary Awards
International PEN was founded in 1921 to dispel national, ethnic, and racial hatreds and to promote understanding among all countries. PEN American Center, founded a year later, works to advance literature, to defend free expression, and to foster international literary fellowship.
www.pen.org

Human Rights Organizations

Amnesty International (AI)
A worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights.
www.amnesty.org

The Abdorrahman Boroumand Foundation
Promoting human rights and democracy in Iran. (ABF) is a non-governmental non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of human rights and democracy in Iran.
www.abfiran.org/english/foundation.php

Words Without Borders
Working to promote international communication through translation of the world’s best writing.
www.wordswithoutborders.org

Freedom House
A non-profit, nonpartisan organization, is a clear voice for democracy and freedom around the world. Through a vast array of international programs and publications, Freedom House is working to advance the remarkable worldwide expansion of political and economic freedom.
www.freedomhouse.org

Human RIghts Watch
Human Rights Watch is dedicated to protecting the human rights of people around the world.
www.hrw.org

Doctors Without Borders
An independent international medical humanitarian organization that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural or man-made disasters, or exclusion from health care in more than 70 countries.
www.doctorswithoutborders.org

Women’s Learning Partnership
Dedicated to women’s leadership and empowerment. At its essence, WLP is a builder of networks, working with 18 autonomous and independent partner organizations in the Global South, particularly in Muslim-majority societies, to empower women to transform their families, communities, and societies.
www.learningpartnership.org

Books

The Big Read
An initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to revitalize the role of literature in the nation’s popular culture.
www.neabigread.org

BookSense.com
Large group of independent bookstores. Store locator, book search, gift certificates, association bestsellers, organization’s history and staff.

Index on Censorship
Covers news and issues related to freedom of expression throughout the world.
www.indexonline.org

American Booksellers Association
Founded in 1900, the American Booksellers Association is a not-for-profit organization devoted to meeting the needs of its core members of independently owned bookstores with retail storefront locations through advocacy, education, research, and information dissemination. The ABA actively supports free speech, literacy, and programs that encourage reading.
www.bookweb.org