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Fishes swimming in the river and birds flying above it set the rhythms of the poet’s life
Robert Adamson on a wharf on the river. Photograph by Hazel JohnstonIn July of 2022, following a pattern of several decades, my family and I visited...
Words and images that escaped from prison
Behrouz Boochani made many public appearances and attend many events during his recent visit, including a dinner held by the Kurdish Youth...
Hefty new penalties now applied to protesters
Protesters support Coco Violet. Photograph by Kate Geraghty courtesy of The Sydney Morning HeraldDeanna “Coco” Violet wept with relief inside the...
The Black witness must be believed
The annual PEN Lecture at the Sydney Writers Festival. The Black Witness must be believed, insists Amy McQuire. Black Witnesses have been silenced...
‘We have poorer books as a result’: Why Australian publishers are silenced by fear.
Louise Milligan - Picture credit: Simon SchluterWriting and publishing a book about a controversial public figure is like diving into shark-infested...
Tibetan writer jailed for four years
A Tibetan writer arrested by Chinese police nearly three years ago has been confirmed to be serving four years in prison for “splittism and...
Sarah Malik on reading as a lifeline
It was just over 20 years ago that I walked through the front doors to do an arts and law degree. I was 18, a bookish and shy young Muslim woman...
NSW Premier’s Translation Prize shortlist announced
Congratulations to the translators shortlisted in this year's NSW Premier’s Translation Prize. The prize was proposed by PEN Sydney and is funded...
Sydney Belmarsh Tribunal experts pressure Prime Minister to save Assange
Inspired by the Russell-Sartre Tribunals of the Vietnam War, the Belmarsh Tribunal convened in Sydney University’s Great Hall on March 4, for a...
Cuban poet Maria Cristina Garrido Rodriguez
To mark International Women's Day 2023, PEN International and PEN Sydney are featuring the case of Cuban poet and activist María Cristina Garrido...
Iranian writers Arash Ganji and Khandan Mahabadi released
Today PEN International, PEN Sydney, PEN America and 34 other Centers in the PEN literary and free expression network released a joint statement,...
Media censorship in Türkiye earthquake zone
In the hands of bad actors—whether public or private—generative AI tools can supercharge existing threats to free expression.In this statement...