Joanne Leedom-Ackerman is a novelist, short story writer, and journalist. She is the editor of The Journey of Liu Xiaobo: From Dark Horse to Noble Laureate (Potomac Books, 2020). Leedom-Ackerman is vice president emeritus of PEN International and served as chair of PEN International’s Writers in Prison Committee while Liu Xiaobo was imprisoned. She later served as the International Secretary of PEN International in the same years Liu Xiaobo was president of the Independent Chinese PEN Center (ICPC).