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PEN Sydney brings you the latest news about freedom of expression, writers and their words.
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vale carol dettmann
Dedicated defender of social justice, freedom of speech and expression dies aged 82.Carol Dettmann OAM, publisher and activist, who spent many years...
Trump must Urge xi to release jimmy lai
Human Rights groups call on the US Congress to do all it can to secure the release of publisher Jimmy Lai from detention in China.The Committee to...
cheng lei new president of pen melbourne
PEN Sydney congratulates Cheng Lei, who is set to become the next president of PENMelbourne. The organisation will ratify her appointment at its...
cartoonist cathy wilcox leaves smh
The four-time Walkley Award-winning cartoonist Cathy Wilcox is described as having cocked her sceptical eyebrow and poked her inky nib at pretty...
pen america’s president resigns
On July 9 prominent Ethiopian-American novelist Dinaw Mengetsu resigned his position as president of PEN America after the organisation published a...
war in the middle east
PEN Sydney condemns the war in The Middle East and stands with political prisoners, writers and journalists impacted by the war.The US/Israel-Iran...
murray hunter cleared
Criminal defamation charges against Australian writer and journalist Murray Hunter have been settled without penalty or cost.On 17 November 2025,...
jimmy lai sentenced
On February 9, writer and publisher Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being found guilty under Hong Kong’s 2020 National Security...
Iranian poet arrested
PEN Sydney joins PEN America in condemning the detention of Iranian poet Ali Asadollahi. His arrest comes in the context of mass civil protests in...
Three Iranian Writers face imprisonment
This conversation was originally published in 2020. It was organised by PEN Sydney, on behalf of the Australian PEN Centres in Melbourne and Perth....
hate speech laws will do real harm
PEN Melbourne, PEN Sydney and PEN Perth express our deep concern regarding the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill that was passed by...
amanda echanis freed
On 14 January, Filipino poet, writer, and activist Amanda Echanis was acquitted of weapons and explosives charges after spending more than five...