From the page to leadership: Dinaw Mengestu begins a new chapter as president of PEN America, extending a literary career defined by empathy, rigor, and storytelling. (Photo: PEN America)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
TADIAS — Ethiopian-American novelist Dinaw Mengestu has been elected president of PEN America, the century-old literary organization dedicated to celebrating literature and defending freedom of expression.
The election took place on December 17, 2025, during PEN America’s annual general meeting. Mengestu, who has served as a trustee since 2016, will serve a two-year term as president and chair of the Board of Trustees, succeeding writer and activist Jennifer Finney Boylan.
Widely regarded as one of the most influential voices in contemporary American fiction, Dinaw’s work has long explored themes of migration, memory, and belonging. His novels — The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears, How to Read the Air, All Our Names, and most recently Someone Like Us — have earned major recognition, including a MacArthur Fellowship and the National Book Foundation’s 5 Under 35 Award. His writing has also been cited by former President Barack Obama among his favorites.
Summer Lopez, PEN America’s interim co-CEO, praised Mengestu’s election:
Dinaw Mengestu has spent his career illuminating the borders between countries, histories, and identities, and bringing readers into the lives of those too often pushed to the margins. His unwavering commitment to free expression, his advocacy for writers under threat around the world, and his profound belief in literature’s power to humanize across deep divides will guide the organization through this pivotal moment for democracy and the written word.”
Beyond fiction, Dinaw has reported from regions including Darfur, Uganda, and eastern Congo, and currently directs the Center for Ethics and Writing and the Written Arts Program at Bard College.
His election places him among a distinguished line of PEN America presidents, including Salman Rushdie, Jennifer Egan, and Ayad Akhtar.
For readers familiar with his work, this new role feels like a natural extension of a literary career defined by empathy, rigor, and an enduring commitment to storytelling.
Dinaw has long been one of our most admired writers — this milestone feels both well-earned and worth highlighting.
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