PEN Cambodia
Member organization
PEN Cambodia promotes writing and reading culture through training writers and by producing literary and academic works for the youth and general public in Cambodia.
Location: Phnom Pen, Cambodia
History of Pen Cambodia
PEN Cambodia is a non-profit association that was founded by Tararith Kho, Poet, Co-Founder of Nou Hach Literature Project with a group of Cambodian writers and scholars in 2010 to take part in educational development in Cambodia. PEN Cambodia has its primary goal to promote writing and reading culture through training writers, producing literary and academic works for the youth and general public in Cambodia. On September 29, 2010, PEN Cambodia was ratified in the PEN International Congress in Tokyo to be one of its members. This ratification is the result of the proposal put forward by a group of young Cambodian writers to the PEN International in London informing and explaining their need to have a PEN Center in Cambodia.
Since 2010, Heng Sreang, professor of philosophy of Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia was elected to be the president of Pen Cambodia. In 2019, he resigned from his position because he has been doing research and writing in U.S. since 2016, and his research project has not finished yet.
On July 7, 2019, Yorn Young, Poet, Songwriter, Singer and project director of PEN Cambodia for Civil Society, was elected to be the President of Pen Cambodia. From the beginning, Pen has had many activities locally and internationally. We have been invited to join international forum of writers organized by Pen International and our partners. Besides, we have also organized some workshops in Cambodia by inviting Cambodian and Foreigner writers to share knowledge and experiences for young writers.