Don Recognized as Business Visionary Honoree at PEN America Gala
2m read, 9m video
At the 2022 PEN America Literary Gala, Don was celebrated as this year’s Business Visionary Honoree for his vision and leadership at Audible. The event, held at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City on May 23, marked the organization’s 100th year in defending free expression in the United States and across the world. Other awardees included author Zadie Smith, activist Jack Petocz, and imprisoned Ukrainian journalist Vladyslav Yesypenko.
Don was introduced by longtime friend, Senator Cory Booker, who said, “[Don] has been an extraordinary disruptor [and] reshaped the way that millions and millions of people around the world experience books and stories.” Senator Booker lauded Don for making Audible “the first major company to move its headquarters to Newark when [he] was mayor.”
Don, in his remarks, highlighted both the work of PEN America and Audible in defending writers and elevating the written and spoken word. “Whether to redress the darkness of the times as PEN continues to do, or to capture and convey voices that ought to be heard after years of marginalization . . . or just to tell new stories worthy of the telling . . . we have a lot of work to do together,” he said.
Don’s remarks at the gala can be viewed in the video below.