Worldwide Day of Reading for Liu Xiaobo - 20 March 2012 — 21.03.2012
On 20 March 2012, more than 150 cultural institutions, schools, radio stations and other groups in 41 countries around the world participated in a worldwide reading of prose and poems by the imprisoned Chinese author and 2010 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Liu Xiaobo.
One of several masks designed by artist Christine Haberstock to be worn at events around the world on 20 March, 2012.
The worldwide reading, organised by the International Literature Festival Berlin, shared Liu Xiaobo’s works with a broader readership and formed part of the international protest that a humanist, a freedom fighter, an outstanding writer and Nobel Peace Prize winner is still in Chinese prison simply for expressing his views. He will be released in June 2020.
Sydney PEN Participates in the Worldwide Reading
ABC Radio National’s “Books and Arts Daily” program broadcast a reading by Australian poet and Sydney PEN Writers' Advisory Panel Member, John Tranter, of Liu Xiaobo’s poem, “You Wait for Me With Dust” on Wednesday, 20 March, 2012 at 10am. A podcast of this broadcast is available here on the ABC Radio National website. This reading will be re-broadcast as part of ABC Radio National’s “Books +” program at 7pm on Saturday, 24 March. ABC Radio National is broadcast on 576AM in Sydney.
Local Sydney community station 2SER 107.3FM also broadcast a reading of the poem by Sydney PEN Vice-President, Debra Adelaide, on its books program “Final Draft” at 7pm Monday, 19 March.
Resources
An English translation of Liu Xiaobo’s poem, “You Wait for Me With Dust”:
An English language copy of “Charter 08”, the famous human rights manifesto co-authored by Liu Xiaobo and signed by more than 350 prominent Chinese writers and intellectuals in 2008:
A poster for the Worldwide Day of Reading for Liu Xiaobo, produced by International Literature Festival Berlin:
You can see more of Christine Haberstock’s work on her website here.