PEN America Will Host 'Collaboration & Commemoration' With Catherine Filloux and More

PEN America invites its members and guests to a special online event, Collaboration & Commemoration: A Member Exclusive Webinar, taking place on Monday, May 12, 2025, at 10:30 am (EDT). This timely international conversation brings together three remarkable artists whose work transcends borders and bridges generations through memory, healing, and creative resistance.

Moderated by Julie Trébault, Executive Director of the Artists at Risk Connection, the panel features PEN America member, award-winning playwright and librettist Catherine Filloux, Cambodian American artist and policy expert Amara Goel, and renowned composer and Khmer Rouge survivor Him Sophy.

The discussion will explore the creation of Where Elephants Weep, a groundbreaking Cambodian-American rock opera, set in the shadow of genocide. The panelists will reflect on their deeply personal collaborations, the legacy of Cambodian resilience, and the transformative role of art in confronting historical trauma.

 
“Stories and human rights embody my work in theater and opera. My writing creates a prism-like structure where audiences, in their different ways, have their own active understanding of the narratives. To believe in the strength of art is a form of resistance, which includes collaboration and commemoration.” — Catherine Filloux, playwright and librettist 

This webinar is free for PEN America members, and accessible for all at this link: https://pen.org/event/collaboration-and-commemoration-a-member-exclusive-webinar.  Non-members are also welcome to attend and are encouraged to join the organization to access exclusive events and a global community of writers and advocates. Membership details are available at pen.org/join.