Crafting the City

This is a free event, but registration is required.

Cities live in our imaginations as sites of possibility. Self-transformation, unexpected encounters, and unforeseen opportunities are all within reach.

In the novels of Amanda Lee Koe (Sister Snake), Sam Sussman (Boy From the North Country), and Gary Shteyngart (Vera, or Faith), cities are characters in their own right. In Koe’s retelling of the Chinese folktale “The Legend of the White Snake,” two sisters who are ancient snakes in human form navigate the constrictions and freedoms of Singapore and New York City. Sussman’s protagonist is drawn into his mother’s stories of late nights with Bob Dylan in her third-floor Manhattan walk-up. In Vera, or Faith, as the rest of the United States devolves into an authoritarian state, New York City struggles to remain a sanctuary of liberal values.

In this discussion held against the backdrop of New York City on the festival’s outdoor stage, author and critic Hamilton Cain (This Boy’s Faith) will speak with these writers about crafting a city as myth, metaphor, and reality.

The 2026 PEN World Voices Festival is a celebration of world literature and free expression. The 2026 edition will be the 21st World Voices Festival. Over four days, more than140 writers from over 40 countries will be featured in 40+ engaging talks, panels, readings, and activations in New York City and greater Los Angeles.

Visit for more information about the entire festival, as well as PEN America.

This an outdoor public space. For detailed information on accessibility in this space, or to make a request, please contact [email protected]

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