Latest News from PEN Melbourne
The Writers in Prison Committee of PEN International was set up in 1960 as a result of mounting concern about attempts to silence critical voices around the world. An office was set up at the PEN head office in London to gather information and to alert the PEN membership to take action. The WiPC is now staffed by a team of experts who monitor around 1,000 attacks on writers, journalists, editors, poets, publishers and others in any given year. These include long prison terms, harassment, threats, and murder.
Can Arts Stop a Bullet? by Constantine Pakavakis PEN Melbourne’s WfPC is collaborating with the peace activist movement and the campaign to free Julian Assange. At a recent “Call for Peace, Truth Not War” rally, colourful signs, banners and the thumping beat of Richie Haven’s Freedom on the stepped forecourt of Melbourne’s State Library reminded me of how once we stopped a war. Music and art are powerful, they make us feel. In Can Art Stop a …
The Persecution of Truth The war on whistleblowers, WikiLeaks and truth will be examined at a conference called The Persecution of Truth at the State Library of Queensland on Sunday April 30th. An important aim of the seminar is to reacquaint Queenslanders with the extraordinary achievements of Julian Assange and detail his equally extraordinary persecution; how he has been corralled and silenced, imprisoned in Belmarsh for four years without ever being convicted of a crime; and to encourage supporters to …
PEN International is deeply concerned over reports regarding last week’s arrest of educator and prominent advocate for girls’ education, Matiullah Wesa, and calls for his immediate and unconditional release. Matiullah’s detention is just the latest example of the Taliban’s intolerance towards anyone who challenges its efforts to deny women and girls their right to education. On 27 March 2023, Matiullah Wesa was arrested by the Taliban after attending prayers at a mosque in Kabul, according to media reports. Videos circulated …
Dear friends, Over 100 journalists, lawyers and politicians were reportedly detained this morning across Türkiye: https://bianet.org/english/law/277727-over-100-journalists-lawyers-politicians-detained-in-raids-targeting-pro-kurdish-groups. Though numbers differ, at least 10 journalists are said to be detained. We condemned the raids on our social media channels: https://twitter.com/pen_int/status/1650797178418331648 and wish to express our deepest solidarity with our friends at Kurdish PEN and PEN Türkiye. As per email below, the International Press Institute (IPI) and the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) drafted a joint statement condemning the raids, …
Victorian Writer, PEN column March 2023 Paul Morgan Daydream believers ‘What sort of job interests you?’ asked my school careers adviser. I shifted in my seat and shrugged my shoulders. ‘Well, what do you like doing?’ she asked, visibly frustrated. I didn’t dare tell her the truth, that I liked nothing more than staring out of a window at the sky, chin propped on my hand, day-dreaming and making up stories in my head. All these years later, things haven’t …
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