Category Archives: General

In case you missed it… Last year, we hosted Behrouz Boochani in person for the PEN Perth Annual Lecture 2023. He was joined in conversation with award-winning translator, Omid Tofighian and academic, Anne Surma. Together, they discussed defiance, resistance, displacement in relation to the act of writing freedom, asking what does it mean to bearContinueContinue reading “JAN Newsletter”

Dear members/friends It is that time of year when we all start preparing to celebrate with family and friends. However, some writers and journalists worldwide will not have that opportunity. There are writers in prison in various countries who have been imprisoned for writing about human rights in defiance of a government policy. We atContinueContinue reading “December 2023 – Holiday greeting”

Thanks to all who will be attending ‘Writing Freedom: Behrouz Boochani in conversation’: it was a fully booked out event. We look forward to seeing you soon. For those who missed it, Behrouz Boochani will be at Curtin Centre Human Rights Education for the event ‘Reflections on Activism with Behrouz Boochani’ (16NOV, 4-6PM). Book here:ContinueContinue reading “NOVEMBER 2023”

PEN Perth call for volunteers and feedback form We appreciate your ongoing involvement with PEN Perth and would like to know how we can improve. Please submit your responses via this survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NJFK7VM Release of Cheng Lei (left) but Yang Hengjun (right) still imprisoned We are thrilled to report that Cheng Lei has been releasedContinueContinue reading “October 2023 – Upcoming events, survey, release of Cheng Lei”

NOTICE OF Annual General Meeting, followed by in conversation event with Ma Thida on Writers at Risk in Burma5:30PM (Thursday) 21st September 2023Centre for Stories, 100 Aberdeen Str., Northbridge BOOK HERE FOR EVENT  The 2023 Annual General Meeting of the Perth PEN Centre will be held at 5.30pm on Thursday 21st September 2023 at theContinueContinue reading “AUG Newsletter – AGM notice and membership”

Starting with good news – releases and awards Release of Chau Van Kham Australian man Chau Van Kham has been released from a Vietnamese prison and reunited with his family in Australia. Mr Chau, a retired baker from Sydney, was detained in Vietnam in January 2019 and sentenced to 12 years in prison on terrorismContinueContinue reading “JULY 2023 newsletter”

With the growing political polarisation, conservative leaders have taken a close and biased policing of book titles about race, gender and sexuality. Amanda Gorman wrote a poem for Joe Biden’s inauguration in 2021 named The Hill We climb. This year, the poem has been placed on a restricted list Bob Graham Education Center in MiamiContinueContinue reading “JUNE Newsletter”

Looking back at World Press Freedom Day World Press Freedom Day Celebrated every 3rd of May, this year’s theme for the Day was “Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of expression as a driver for all other human rights” (working title), signifying the enabling element of freedom of expression to enjoy and protect all otherContinueContinue reading “MAY 2023 Newsletter”

Afghanistan: Arrest of girls’ education activist latest example of Taliban repression 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 challengesContinueContinue reading “APRIL 2023 Newsletter”

Dear PEN Perth Members and Friends, PEN Perth has been following ‘curious case of Hany Babu’ over the last couple of years. Globally, PEN International has advocated strongly for this former Delhi University Linguist. Some of you were able to join us for the video conference with Dr Babu’s wife Dr Jenny Rowena at our lastContinueContinue reading “MARCH 2023 newsletter”

International Mother Language Day 2023 Held every year on 21 February, International Mother Language Day is observed to promote linguistic and cultural diversity, and multilingualism. To mark this anniversary, PEN International features the case of Belarusian writer, human rights defender, Nobel Peace Prize winner and PEN Belarus member Ales Bialiatski, detained since 2021 and currently on trial.ContinueContinue reading “FEB 2023 – Mother Language Day”

Dear Members and Fellow Travellers,  It was a pleasure to see some of you at the seminar with Peter Greste, on Human Rights Day 10 December 2022. Peter Greste is an award-winning journalist and author, who, along with his colleagues from Al Jazeera, was imprisoned by Egyptian authorities in 2013-15.  He started his talk byContinueContinue reading “JAN 2023 newsletter”