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DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20240523T130000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20240523T140000
DTSTAMP:20240428T133817Z
CREATED:20240428T133652Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240428T133817Z
UID:2983-1716469200-1716472800@pen.org.au
SUMMARY:PEN Lecture: Writing from Prison in Myanmar
DESCRIPTION:Sean Turnell spent almost two years in Myanmar’s terrifying Insein Prison\, accused of being a spy. Ma Thida was also incarcerated there\, where\, denied medical treatment\, she came very close to dying. \nHow did they survive? What hope do these important players in Myanmar’s government and politics hold for the return of democracy three years after the military seized power in a coup? In conversation with Catherine Renshaw. \n\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				Join us at the Sydney Writers Festival for this fascinating conversation. This is a free event. \n\n			\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				Book Now
URL:https://pen.org.au/event/pen-lecture-writing-from-prison-in-myanmar/
LOCATION:Home\, 245 Wilson St\, Eveleigh\, NSW\, 2015\, Australia
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pen.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Ma_Thida_c_Ole_Witt-6-16x9-1.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20241114T190000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20241114T203000
DTSTAMP:20241030T041054Z
CREATED:20241018T045120Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241030T041054Z
UID:3146-1731610800-1731616200@pen.org.au
SUMMARY:Day of the Imprisoned Writer 2024
DESCRIPTION:Recent high-profile prosecutions of whistleblowers – Witness K\, David McBride\, Richard Boyle have shown that blowing the whistle in Australia can land you in jail. What is the cost to our democracy? Keeping the bastards honest has never been more dangerous for whistleblowers and the journalists who bring their stories to light. \nFormer Senator Rex Patrick – advocate for whistleblowers \nPeter McCutcheon – Senior ABC Journalist on 730 \nAnneliese Cooper – Lawyer with the Whistleblower Project \nModerator – Michael West – Journalist \nJoin us for PEN Sydney’s annual Day of the Imprisoned Writer \n\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				Join us on Zoom 7pm AEDT on 14 November . This is a free event. \n\n			\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				Book Now
URL:https://pen.org.au/event/whistleblowers-behind-bars-day-of-imprisoned-writer-pen-meaa/
LOCATION:Zoom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://pen.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/PEN-whistleblowers-1.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250523T130000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250523T140000
DTSTAMP:20250427T054640Z
CREATED:20250427T054639Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250427T054640Z
UID:3322-1748005200-1748008800@pen.org.au
SUMMARY:Shankari Chandran at Sydney Writers Festival
DESCRIPTION:We live in an era of unprecedented access to information\, yet power and authority often present fiction as fact. \nAs a writer and lawyer\, Shankari Chandran recognises fiction’s limitations in delivering justice. But her interviews with survivors of Sri Lankan genocide inform her novels\, which provide a powerful opportunity to explore and reveal stories\, history\, war and injustice. Fiction is a crucial space for truth-telling\, especially when official channels are blocked. \nIn this PEN Sydney lecture\, hear the Miles Franklin Literary Award winner speak to her use of fiction as a living\, communal archive. \n\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				Join us for this free event at the Sydney Writers Festival on Friday 23 May at 1pm. \n\n			\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				Book Now
URL:https://pen.org.au/event/shankari-chandran-pen-lecture-fictional-space/
LOCATION:Carriageworks\, 245 Wilson St\, Eveleigh\, NSW\, 2015\, Australia
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pen.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Headshot-Horizontal-2.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20251123T170000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20251123T180000
DTSTAMP:20260820T110742Z
CREATED:20260820T110730Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260820T110742Z
UID:3572-1763917200-1763920800@pen.org.au
SUMMARY:Cheng Lei on China and Freedom
DESCRIPTION:When journalist Cheng Lei was detained by Chinese state security agents\, she thought she would be freed within the week. Instead\, she was held on absurd espionage charges in isolated conditions for more than three years. \nA veteran business journalist\, the Chinese-born Australian mother of two young children was at the pinnacle of her career anchoring China’s Global Business TV show\, when eight words texted to a friend led to devastating consequences. \nShe survived cruel interrogations\, a 90 minute show-trial and only once heard the voices of her children. \nCheng Lei-A Memoir of Freedom is a powerful meditation on hope\, freedom and the power of the human spirit; bravery in the face of cruelty and pettiness; the consolations of letters\, music and books; and how unexpected friendships and the love of family can unlock the courage we all have within us to prevail. \nCheng Lei is an Australian-Chinese journalist who has worked for both Western and Chinese media. She was born in China but grew up in Australia from the age of ten. At the tensest point in Australia–China relations\, she was detained for supplying ‘state secrets to overseas organisations’ and was incarcerated in Beijing by China’s Ministry of State Security for three years and two months. Australian diplomatic efforts secured her release\, and she was reunited with her family in October 2023. Lei is currently a presenter for Sky News and received the Press Freedom Award from the Australian Press Council. \n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				Join us for this free event at the Sydney Writers Festival on Friday 23 May at 1pm. \n\n			\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				Book Now
URL:https://pen.org.au/event/cheng-lei-on-china-and-freedom/
LOCATION:Gleebooks\, 49 Glebe Point Rd\, Glebe\, NSW\, Australia
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pen.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/130225ChengLei_cropped.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260819T180000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260819T193000
DTSTAMP:20260820T105434Z
CREATED:20260820T105422Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260820T105434Z
UID:3555-1787162400-1787167800@pen.org.au
SUMMARY:How Free is Free Speech
DESCRIPTION:Freedom of expression is front and centre in Australian public conversation. \nYet how free are journalists to express themselves\, particularly if their ideas are considered contentious or satirical? How do we responsibly maintain the rights of journalists to report the truth\, whilst also fostering mutual understanding and empathy between communities? \nAs commentary becomes more tribal and viewpoints more siloed\, how free are journalists and writers to express unorthodox\, controversial or nuanced positions? \nJoin three journalists who have all been silenced; Cathy Willcox\, Jan Fran and Peter Greste in conversation with writer Ben Law as they consider what we’re (not) allowed to say\, write and publish. \n\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				Join us for this free event at the Sydney Writers Festival on Friday 23 May at 1pm. \n\n			\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				Book Now
URL:https://pen.org.au/event/cathy-wilcox-jan-fran-peter-greste-yumi-stynes/
LOCATION:State Library of NSW\, 1 Shakespeare Pl\, Sydney\, NSW\, 2000\, Australia
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pen.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Cathy-Wilcox-credit-Rhett-Wyman-scaled.jpg
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