Kal Penn to host PEN America literary awards ceremony

NEW YORK (AP) — Kal Penn will host this year’s PEN America Literary Awards.

The actor, author and activist will preside over the March 2 ceremony at The Town Hall in Manhattan. Prizes include the $75,000 Jean Stein Award for the best and most innovative book of 2022, the $15,000 PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for essay writing and the $10,000 PEN/Hemingway Award for best debut novel.

Nominees range from David Sedaris and Jhumpa Lahiri to Imani Perry and U.S. poet laureate Ada Limón.

“What an honor to host this night — recognizing and bringing groundbreaking and revelatory writing to light — for an organization known for its far-reaching work defending literature against those threatened by its power,” Penn said in a statement Tuesday. “The fact that writing uplifts, informs, and unites people is cause for celebration and protection, especially today. I’m thrilled to be a part of an unforgettable commemoration of new, and surely enduring, writing.”