Find information on PEN Perth’s activities, advocacy and updates on writers at risk, in Australia and internationally.
History of banned books in Iran
Since the 1979 Revolution, book banning in Iran has been a constant. Religious, political and moral grounds against foreign and local authors were at their most severe for the twenty years preceding the Reform period (1997–2005).[1] Some relaxation of the rules occurred then, but President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (2005–2013) engineered a backlash against Western literature. In…
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Chair’s message February 2026
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…
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Boualem Sansal: A victory for freedom of expression… and a reward
Eighty-year-old Franco-Algerian writer and journalist Boualem Sansal was arrested in November 2024 by Algerian authorities on trumped-up charges of ‘undermining national unity’ and ‘attacking state institutions’ after suggesting in an interview with the extreme-right wing media Frontières, France had unfairly transferred Moroccan territory to Algeria during the colonial era.[1] This territorial issue has soured French–Algerian…
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Charges dropped against Murray Hunter
After months of legal uncertainty, the criminal defamation charges against Australian writer and commentator Murray Hunter have been formally withdrawn by a Bangkok court, with the matter resolved without penalty or costs. Hunter described the experience as “personally very traumatic” but said he is relieved to have his passport returned and to regain the freedom…
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Adelaide Writers’ Week media statement
PEN Centres have published their media statement highlighting concerns about the decision to remove Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah from Adelaide Writers’ Week. Adelaide writers_festival cancelled PEN Perth patron, Peter Greste also shared his letter to the Adelaide Festival, alongside a recent Guardian article in which he again defends the importance of the ‘grey zone’ – the…
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Murray Hunter faces criminal charges
Australian writer and academic, Murray Hunter, is facing criminal charges in Thailand for articles he published online criticising Malaysia’s Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). Malaysia is the current Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and is obligated under the ASEAN Charter to uphold human rights and freedoms, democracy, rule of law and…
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Hany Babu released on Bail
After more than five hard years behind bars – arrested in July 2020 under the controversial Bhima Koregaon / Elgar Parishad case – Dr Hany Babu has been granted bail by the Bombay High Court. This wasn’t some quick detour behind bars – the bail was granted on the grounds of prolonged pre-trial detention, a…
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Jimmy Lai found guilty
On 15 December 2025, writer and media publisher Jimmy Lai was found guilty on two counts of conspiring to collude with foreign forces under Hong Kong’s draconian National Security Law (NSL), and a third count of seditious publications under the territory’s colonial-era sedition law. Lai, who recently turned 78, now faces spending the remainder of his life behind bars,…
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Suspended death sentence for Yang Hengjun
Writer Yang Hengjun’s health deteriorates as China’s decision on his suspended death sentence looms. See more. See the letter (and download below) PEN Perth and other PEN organisations have sent to Senator Penny Wong. Feel free to use this letter and send on your own behalf to help raise awareness. PEN_LTR_SenWong_Yang
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AGM and Reading Secular India
Annual General Meeting 2024 Date: Sat, 27 Jul 2024 Time: 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM AWSTLocation: Centre for Stories (100 Aberdeen Street Northbridge, WA 6003) Welcome to the PEN Perth Annual General Meeting 2024! Join us at the Centre for Stories for a meeting to discuss achievements over the last year, updates on our incarcerated adoptees, and a…
Keep readingJUNE Newsletter: AGM, Assange, Ma Thida
Key news Julian Assange freed Since founding WikiLeaks 18 years ago, Julian Assange has endured legal wranglings, arrest warrants, political asylum, incarceration and the threat of extradition to the US. He walked free and returned to Australia on 26 June. Here are some links to analyses of the case: The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/julian-assange-is-free-but-curly-legal-questions-about-his-case-remain-233339 The Spectator (UK):…
Keep readingMa Thida – June events
Ma Thida is a medical doctor, writer and human rights activist. She believes in freedom of expression. In 1993, she was sentenced to 20 years in prison for “endangering public peace, having contact with illegal organisations, and distributing unlawful literature.” She was released in 1999 and was awarded the Reebok Human Rights Award, the PEN/Barbara…
Keep readingMAY 2024 Newsletter
Event: A Conversation with Ma Thida: Myanmar and the Road to Freedom 15JUNE, 2 – 3pm (AWST) Location: Centre for Stories (100 Aberdeen Street Northbridge, WA 6003) In 1993, Ma Thida was sentenced to 20 years in prison for championing freedom of expression and literature in Myanmar. She was a prisoner of conscience for six…
Keep readingApril 2024 newsletter
PEN’s global community condemns book bans around the world “In the face of rising censorship, we must confront the tyranny of those who seek to silence the voices of dissent and truth. Through book bans, authorities attempt to suffocate the essence of freedom, but we must stand firm. Let literature be our shield against oppression,…
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Past event: Spotlight on Palestine Our Spotlight On Palestine event was a success: we had a full room and talented young writers sharing their moving pieces and thoughts on the Palestinian situation. Thank you to Rashida Murphy for organising this event. PEN International case list In 2023, global censorship persisted amidst escalating conflicts. In Europe…
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Newsflash: Yang Hengjun’s death sentence PEN International joins the undersigned PEN Centres in condemning the handing down of a suspended death sentence to Australian writer Yang Hengjun, five years after he was detained and accused of espionage. According to a statement published by Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong, the death sentence can be…
Keep readingNewsflash: Yang Hengjun’s death sentence
PEN International joins the undersigned PEN Centres in condemning the handing down of a suspended death sentence to Australian writer Yang Hengjun, five years after he was detained and accused of espionage. According to a statement published by Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong, the death sentence can be commuted to life imprisonment after…
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Spotlight on Palestine Date: 1 March Time: 5-7 pm Location: Centre For Stories (100 Aberdeen St, Northbridge, WA, 6003) In November, PEN International condemned the arbitrary arrest of young Palestinian writer Ahed Tamimi from her house in the occupied West Bank, and called on the Israeli authorities to end their arbitrary arrests and detention of Palestinians, and to unconditionally release…
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