November 15: The International Day of the Imprisoned Writer — 09.11.2011
Sydney PEN is proud to be taking part in the worldwide commemoration of the Day of the Imprisoned Writer. You can learn more about what we’re planning here.
What is the Day of the Imprisoned Writer?
It's an international day observed annually on November 15 to recognise and support writers who stand up for the basic human right to freedom of expression, and to commemorate writers killed and imprisoned during the previous year.
What are PEN Centres around the world are doing on this important day?
English PEN will be hosting a special event entitled ‘Night of the Imprisoned Writer’ in London. The event will include a performance of Hello Mr. Miller, Hello Mr. Pinter, a unique work in which the words of persecuted writers from around the world have been woven together by award-winning playwright Sonja Linden and English PEN’s Cat Lucas.
German PEN will be hosting a literary event at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele. The event will be dedicated to the Arabic writers who have been persecuted in the last year, but also aims to draw attention to the situation in Belarus and the ongoing plight of Liu Xiaobo.
PEN German-speaking Writers Abroad will be hosting an event at the WDR Radio Studio in Cologne, including readings, music and an interview with Ragip Zarakolu’s lawyer. Highlights from the event will later be broadcast by the station.
Scottish PEN will be hosting a demonstration outside the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh at which poet Ron Butlin will be symbolically imprisoned inside a large cage. The event will include readings from the works of a number of PEN main cases.
Turkish PEN Centre will be holding a joint press meeting with the Turkish Authors Syndicate, Turkish Journalists Society, Contemporary Journalists Society and Turkish Publishers Association. The event aims to draw particular attention to the recent arrests of Ragip Zarakolu and Büşra Eşranli.