Based in PEN’s long-running program of writing mentorship for prison inmates, the new prize recognizes four pairs of mentors and mentees .
France’s Prix Monte-Cristo’s Inmate Jury Awards Its First Honor
The Monte-Cristo Literary Prize, a new program based in a prison class in France, names its first award-winning author.
Freedom Isn’t Easy: Writing in Prison vs. The Free World
By Wahida Clark My new book Thug Lovin’ was the first book I wrote in the free world. Prior to that I wrote six others while I was serving a ten and half year federal prison sentence for money laundering, mail and wire fraud. Was it a difficult transition to write while enjoying freedom? Of course. Was it stressful? Absolutely. …
Bonus Material: Martha Stewart as a Prison Publishing Guru
By Edward Nawotka In the United States, Martha Stewart was once the regarded as a lifestyle diva, a doyenne of good taste. But her reputation was besmirched when in 2004 she served a five-month prison term while her appeal was still pending on charges of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and making false statements to federal investigators. In October 2004, …