PRESS BLAST: PEN America and Hindus for Human Rights Host Literary Salon for Umar Khalid in D.C.

Literature as Resistance: A Literary Salon for Umar Khalid
Tuesday, October 6, 2026 | 5 p.m. ET | Washington, D.C.

PEN America and Hindus for Human Rights invite journalists to a Banned Books Week literary salon featuring the writing of Umar Khalid, the Indian student activist who has been detained since September 2020, alongside readings on protest, social movements, and the power of the written word.

Khalid faces charges under India’s Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in connection with the alleged larger conspiracy surrounding the 2020 Delhi riots. His prolonged pretrial detention has raised concerns among human rights advocates about the criminalization of dissent. The salon will consider how writing can preserve contested histories and make space for voices facing censorship and repression.

Guests are welcome to bring a short reading or poem on the theme of protest, including a work by Khalid. Those interested in reading can indicate so when they RSVP.

Where: Open Gov Hub, 1100 13th St NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20005
Admission: Free
RSVP: pen.org/event/literary-salon-for-umar-khalid

For press inquiries or interviews on Khalid’s case, free expression in India, and why these issues matter to Indian American and Hindu American communities, contact David Dasharath Kalal, Communications Director, Hindus for Human Rights, at david@hindusforhumanrights.org.