12. Apr 2010

International PEN celebrates 'Free the Word' in London

International PEN's third Free the Word! festival
International PEN's third Free the Word! festival

14-18 April, International PEN's third Free the Word! festival of world literature is celebrated in London. This year, literary celebrations have been extended to five days to bring the audience over 40 writers from 25 countries, many of whom are appearing in the UK for the first time. ICORN supports the appearances of several Guest Writers, among these are Zurab Rtveliashvili and Irakli Kakabadze.

Among other writers who will be performing are Sujata Bhatt, Cristina Ali Farah, Richard Ford, Paul Gravett, James Kelman, Pauline Melville, Rutu Modan, Natalia Morari, Donato Ndongo-Bidyogo, Leonardo Padurs, Nawal El Saadawi, Olive Senior, Gillian Slovo, Victor Teran, Juan Gabriel Vásquez, and Nobel laureate Derec Walcott.

The audience is also invited to join in the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of International PEN's Writers in Prison Committee who have campaigned for the freedom to write on behalf of many hundreds of writers, including Vaclav Havel, Ken Saro-Wiwa, Lydia Cacho, Jack Mapanje and Anna Politkovskaya.