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.
The 3rd edition of the Video Poem Marathon 2023 in Indigenous and Minoritized Languages has been a huge success. We have published 70 videos between February 21 and March 21, 2023. These are just some of the figures of this 3rd edition: – 70 languages, 2/3 of them participating for the first time at the Video Poem Marathon. – 38 female poets, 32 male poets – 22 poems from Africa, 14 from Asia, 14 from Europe, 2 from …
World Press Freedom Day, May 3, 2023 Journalism is not a crime Journalists are the eyes and ears of society. With their work, they meet the need for democratic liberties, a need that can never be erased. They must be able to speak and write about matters of public interest without fear of interference, arrest or other forms of reprisal or persecution. Ma Thida, Chair of PEN International Writers in Prison Committee https://www.pen-international.org/our-campaigns/world-press-freedom-day-2023 Julian Assange The case of Australian publisher …
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 …
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 …
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, …
As a member of PEN Melbourne, you will receive a monthly Update with news about our activities and campaigns, and invitations to a program of events with renowned Australian and international writers and activists. The PEN Melbourne Journal is also produced twice a year and distributed free to members.
