Dear members and fellow travellers
Welcome to 2026.
We began the year with a letter from a writer recently released from prison. We are not able to share their name, but we can share their words:
“Let me start by thanking PEN International … and all the writers and artists who united in solidarity for the campaign to free writers who were unjustly imprisoned.
…and for this I am forever grateful and humbled at the same time. Although we are oceans apart, you pushed through to send your support and show your solidarity….”
Many of us write letters to imprisoned writers, sign appeals, or contact Ministerial offices and embassies without ever knowing what becomes of those efforts. This message is a quiet reminder that our impact is real: that words sent across oceans can reach a prison cell.
Closer to home, we supported Murray Hunter – an Australian writer and academic based in Thailand – when he faced criminal defamation proceedings after complaints from Malaysian authorities about articles he published online. He was detained briefly in Bangkok and released on bail. Concerns were raised internationally about the chilling effect of cross-border legal action against critical commentary. PEN Perth worked alongside PEN Melbourne and PEN Sydney; we issued the first media release, later taken up by online media and the ABC. Earlier this year, the complaint was withdrawn and the matter resolved. It was a reminder that coordinated, measured advocacy can contribute to a fair outcome.
We also continue to reflect on developments in cases we reported on last year. The release of Egyptian writer Alaa Abdel Fattah after years of imprisonment, and the granting of bail to Indian academic and activist Hany Babu after prolonged pre-trial detention, were significant steps. In both instances, international advocacy ensured their names were not forgotten. Hany’s case remains ongoing, and we continue to monitor his bail conditions while hoping that the deeply troubling charges against him will ultimately be dismissed. Progress is often partial and slow – but it is rarely accidental.
In April, we hope to welcome to Perth Dr Ma Thida, Burmese dissident writer and Chair of the Writers in Prison and at Risk Committee of PEN International. She will present a “Myanmar Update” at Murdoch University, offering insight into the current situation for writers and civil society in Myanmar. We look forward to gathering in person and will share details of her full program in due course.
PEN’s work is global by definition. The writers we support may be in Cairo, Delhi, Yangon or Bangkok. Yet our advocacy is grounded here: in Boorloo/Perth, on ancient Whadjuk Noongar Country in Western Australia. It is here that we meet, write, organise, issue statements, and speak. It is here that solidarity begins – in a local community of readers and writers who believe that the freedom to read and to write matters everywhere.
Thank you for being part of that community.
Krishna Sen, Chair, PEN Perth
penperth.com 