Borthwick named new chair of English PEN

Ruth Borthwick and Aki Schilz have been named as chair and vice-chair of English PEN. 

Borthwick has taken over as chair from writer, translator and academic Maureen Freely while Schilz has taken over from journalist Claire Armitstead. The news was announced on 7th December. 

With 20 years’ experience of advocating for literature in the UK and internationally, Borthwick is the co-founder of Spread the Word and was c.e.o. and artistic director of Arvon, the UK’s leading creative writing charity. She has served on the board of English PEN since 2019.  

Schilz is director of The Literary Consultancy and joined the English Pen board last month. She is also a judge for various literary awards including the Bridport Prize First Novel Award and appears regularly at conferences and events to talk about the value of editing, about publishing, and the importance of building inclusive cultures in the creative industries particularly promoting job transparency. 

Borthwick said she was "honoured" by the new appointment and paid tribute to both Freely and Armitstead. She added: "My intention is to build on their achievements and, as our magnificent centenary year comes to a close, to make sure English PEN powers into the next century because our intervention is needed more than ever. Across the globe, writers and their families face persecution as a result of their work, and PEN’s campaigns to protect freedom of expression is critical to writers’ ability to imagine new worlds that give us all hope.” 

Freely said: “Ruth is an exceptional leader in the literary and creative fields today. Her expertise and vision will be vital as we turn the page on English PEN’s first centenary and begin the next. English PEN is also immensely privileged to have Aki Schilz’s guidance at such an important point in the organisation’s history: to continue and develop the work of free expression and equity of opportunity for all readers and writers.” 

Daniel Gorman, director of English PEN, said of the new members: "They join us today to continue to develop the ideas set out by the PEN Charter, and to further our mission to promote equity of expression in all our campaigning. We are immensely grateful to Maureen Freely for the incredible work she has put in over the years, first as president, then chair of the board."

He added: "Maureen has helped us shape the focus and global reach of English PEN, particularly in campaigning for writers at risk across the world and promoting contemporary international writing. We are also indebted to Claire Armitstead for her insight and expertise in literature and journalism, which helped guide us into our centenary year.” 

On the same night it was also announced that archaeological and creative consultant Rebecca Wragg Sykes had won the annual PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize worth £2,000 for her history of the Neanderthals, Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death and Art (Bloomsbury). The award celebrates the best non-fiction on any historical subject and is endowed by former PEN member Marjorie Hessell-Tiltman’s  bequest. 

“Rebecca Wragg Sykes uses her experience at the cutting-edge of Palaeolithic research to share our new understanding of Neanderthals, shoving aside clichés of rag-clad brutes in an icy wasteland,” organisers said.