73RD International PEN Congress Calls for End to Insult and Defamation Laws and to Honour the Protection of Linguistic Rights

International PEN’s historic 73rd Congress closes today calling again for the end to insult and defamation laws worldwide and a commitment to supporting and protecting languages under threat. With more than 200 delegates from over 70 countries representing the wealth of world literature, International PEN celebrated and applauded the diversity of its members work, particularly the work of African PEN members and writers, whilst also supporting resolutions to protect and defend the freedom to write, and welcoming three new Centres, Afar-Speaking, Iraqi and Jordanian. The Writers in Exile Network focussed on the extreme situation for Iraqi writers, many of whom are forced into hiding or exile, and called upon the US Government to take responsibility for refugees, their protection and resettlement.

International PEN’s International President Jiří Gruša says ‘International PEN and all its Centres have been privileged to discuss, in Dakar, its ideas and its future. We are pleased to meet in Africa and to welcome three new Centres to the PEN family.’

On Monday 9 July, the Assembly of Delegates elected a new International Secretary, Eugene Schoulgin (Norwegian PEN Centre), who takes the position from Joanne Leedom-Ackerman on Thursday 11 July.

‘International PEN has held an historic and very successful Congress in Senegal,’ notes Joanne Leedom-Ackerman. ‘The Senegalese PEN Centre has extended grand hospitality to us all. The discussions among delegates have focussed specifically on PEN’s work in Africa and around the world that supports the right to express thoughts freely through the written word. The Women Writer’s Committee Conference tomorrow continues these discussions and will give a platform for female voices from across the world to discuss and debate their work.’

‘It is a great honour to be elected as International Secretary,’ Eugene Schoulgin adds. ‘My belief is that International PEN has an extremely important role to play in the world today, and it is my ambition to make our voice louder and clearer, to promote literature from every continent and to further the work of International PEN that defends freedom of expression.’

Eric Lax (USA Pen Centre) was elected as International Treasurer.

Two new Vice Presidents were elected; Margaret Atwood (Canadian PEN Centre) for services to literature and Niels Barford (Danish PEN Centre) for services to PEN. They will join other Vice Presidents such as Nadine Gordimer, Toni Morrison and Boris A. Novak.

Also elected were four new members of the Board, Haroon Siddiqui (Canadian PEN Centre), Takeaki Hori (Japanese PEN Centre), Kristin T. Schnider (Swiss-German PEN Centre) and Mike Butscher (Sierra Leone PEN Centre). They join other distinguished writers on the Board of International PEN in visioning the future of the organisation with the International President, International Secretary, the Secretariat in London led by Executive Director Caroline McCormick and all Committees and PEN Centres.

Mike Butscher comments ‘I feel very proud to be elected to such a prestigious Board of writers. My election demonstrates that PEN is committed to work in Africa and will inspire African Centres. It unites people from diverse backgrounds into one union promoting literature and culture and defending freedom of expression. I will strive to uphold the ideals of PEN.’

The week in Dakar also gave International PEN the opportunity to further consolidate programmatic work with the 15 active African PEN Centres including representatives from Senegal, Uganda, Malawi, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Algeria and Ghana. Funding is secured for the next five years for the continuation of these programmes from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. On Saturday 7 July ‘Freedoms’, a night of African literature, took place in association with TrustAfrica and hosted by Kenyan writer Binyavanga Wainaina. It celebrated some of the established and emerging voices in Africa, some of which will be published in the next edition of Pen International, International PEN’s bi-annual magazine. TrustAfrica funded five delegates to attend Congress and will begin collaborating with African Centres to encourage and support activity and writing, facilitated by International PEN. In 2008, the regional focus work will continue in Latin America.

Freedom of expression is central to International PEN’s work and this was reflected in 12 resolutions that were passed by the Assembly of Delegates, ranging from the imprisonment of writers in China, Iran, Uzbekistan, Eritrea, Cuba and Vietnam, killings of journalists in Mexico and Afghanistan and the forced closure of a television station in Venezuela. In 2007, International PEN has been focussing on the issue of insult and defamation laws used to silence dissent and special focus was given to Turkey and to the prevalence of such laws across Africa. The Assembly of Delegates remembered and celebrated the lives of two courageous writers, both members of PEN, each of whom played a vibrant role in promotion of free expression in their countries. Anna Politkovskaya, the Russian investigative journalist and writer, was assassinated at her home in Moscow in October; and Hrant Dink, the Armenian Turkish Editor working for reconciliation between the two communities was killed at his office in Istanbul in January. Other writers have continued to be harassed and threatened due to their opinions expressed in their writing, most notable of which is Salman Rushdie whose recent Knighthood bestowed by the Queen of the United Kingdom has sparked a resurgence of threats against him.

Tomorrow, 12 July, the International Women Writers Committee Conference takes place. It will examine the challenges faced by women writers across the world, engage with current issues of freedom of expression and censorship and self-censorship, discuss women’s literacy and education opportunities and explore publishing potential for voices that struggle to be heard for reasons outside their control. Writers taking part include Buchi Emecheta (African Writers Abroad Centre), Ekbal Baraka (Egyptian PEN Centre) and Zeinab Koumanthio Diallo (Guinean Centre).

About International PEN

Established in 1921, International PEN is the worldwide association of writers. Today, it has 144 Centres in 101 countries and exists to promote literature, to defend freedom of expression and to develop a worldwide community of writers. It has four Committees – Writers in Prison, Translation and Linguistic Rights, Writers for Peace and Women Writers – and the Writers in Exile Network. The membership of International PEN is open to all qualified writers who subscribe to the International PEN Charter regardless of nationality, language, race, colour or religion. International PEN is a non-political organisation and has Category A consultative status at UNESCO and the United Nations.

For more information please contact Emily Bromfield, International PEN Communications Manager.
Email: emily.bromfield@internationalpen.org.uk
Phone: 011 44 (0) 20 7405 0338
Web: www.internationalpen.org.uk