English PEN Bulletin

Here is the latest English PEN bulletin featuring new, updates and Brave New Voices at the BBC Proms:

Photo: Suzi Corker We've had a busy few months here at English PEN, so we thought we'd share some of our highlights with you as we look forward to our autumn programme. Don't forget you can support English PEN's work promoting the freedom to read and the freedom to write by becoming a member.

Brave New Voices: Anthology launch & BBC Proms July was sandwiched by excitement for this year's Brave New Voices participants who launched their anthology of original work, The Future House, at Free Word Centre on 3 July. We ate food together and shared in their moving, funny, and courageous words. Download the anthology and see more wonderful photos from the night, here.  A selection of the young people from Capital City Academy were also invited to perform an original poem at this year's BBC Ten Pieces Proms on 29 July at The Royal Albert Hall. An incredible experience for all involved! You can listen to the performance and read the poem here. Photo: Suzi Corker Celebrating Nelson Mandela: His Letters, His Legacy On 17 July at Union Chapel we celebrated the centenary of Nelson Mandela's birth with a special one-off evening of readings from the unseen prison letters of Nelson Mandela. Produced by Josette Bushell-Mingo OBE, the night's incredible line-up included Ben Okri, Gary Younge, Jackie Kay, Zoe Wicomb, Jay Bernard, Kwame Kwei-Armah, Errollyn Wallen, Sahm Venter and Nelson Mandela’s granddaughter Zamaswazi Dlamini-Mandela. The evening also marked the launch of a new publication, The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela, by Liveright. If you couldn't join us on the night, you can experience it through the audio recording and album of photographs. Photo: George Torode

Richard Beard awarded PEN Ackerley Prize 2018 Last month, English PEN announced Richard Beard as the winner of the PEN Ackerley Prize 2018 for his memoir The Day That Went Missing (Harvill Secker). Peter Parker, chair of the judges, said: 'Compulsively readable, fearless, and in places surprisingly funny, the book is an extraordinary act of reclamation and reconciliation.' Listen back to the evening's discussion with the three shortlisted authors, Richard Beard (The Day That Went Missing), Maggie O'Farrell (I Am, I Am, I Am) and Victoria Whitworth (Swimming With Seals) via Soundcloud here.

PEN Translates We were thrilled to announce the latest round of PEN Translates grant recipients, which include books from seventeen countries, ten languages and the first female novelist from Cape Verde! Sarah Ardizzone, chair of the Writers in Translation Committee, said: "The range of genres and previously unheard voices is a revitalising tonic: this is a list that can’t be translated fast enough into the English language." Find out which new titles will be hitting your local bookshops here. PEN Transmissions The latest edition of PEN Transmissions, our online zine dedicated to international writing, is now live at pentransmissions.com. For this issue, the theme is 'Nature and its absence' - from Singapore to Iran, Albania to England. Visit PEN Transmissions to read new writing by Daisy Johnson, Jeremy Tiang, Mahvash Sabet and Luljeta Lleshanaku. We operate a separate notification list for when new issues of PEN Transmissions become available. Subscribe here.

International Translation Day International Translation Day is back in a new format! Join us for the essential ITD experience. Practitioners and academics share the three lessons they’ve learned about translation. Editors pick their favourites from your translation pitches. We will end the night with a translation party: network and hang out over drinks from the bar. #ITD2018 Friday 28 September, 6-9pm | Free Word Centre | More Info

An Evening with Neil Gaiman and Chris Riddell We’re thrilled that this sold out event will be at the brand new Hackney Arts Centre, in association with Headline Publishing Group and Foyles. Neil Gaiman and Chris Riddell join us to celebrate the publication of ART MATTERS, as they talk with broadcaster and presenter Lauren Laverne about inspiration, creativity and the power of words and images. If you didn’t manage to get a ticket, you can submit your questions in advance via Twitter using #ArtMattersQandA. Wednesday 12 September, 6pm | Hackney Arts Centre  More info *SOLD OUT* Photo: Kimberly Butler PEN Pinter Prize 2018 The 2018 PEN Pinter Prize will be awarded to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. She will be presented with the prize at this event and will deliver an address. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was selected by this year’s judges Inua Ellams, Philippe Sands, Antonia Fraser and Chair of English PEN and Chair of Judges, Maureen Freely. The prize will be shared with an International Writer of Courage, announced on the night. Tuesday 9 October, 7pm | British Library | More info *SOLD OUT*

Poet and PEN member Liu Xia freed from house arrest The PEN International community has welcomed the news of the release of its member and friend, the poet and artist Liu Xia, who had been held under unofficial house arrest since October 2010. On 10 July 2018 she was allowed to board a plane bound for Germany. Her release comes days before the one-year anniversary of her husband’s death, the writer and human rights activist, Liu Xiaobo.  It follows dedicated campaigning and support from human rights groups and PEN Centres around the world. Read more. PEN publishes new work by imprisoned Egyptian poet Galal El-Behairy On 31 July 2018, as he reached his 150th day in detention, Egyptian poet and lyricist Galal El-Behairy was sentenced to three years in prison and a fine of 10,000 L.E for ‘insulting the military’ and ‘spreading false news’. Visit our website to read more about Galal's case and call for his release. We are also proud to have published another poem Galal has written in detention in English translation. Read ‘The Tartan Shirt’ here.

Antonia Byatt comments on EIBF visa refusals in The Bookseller There have been a number of disturbing reports of authors and performers being denied visas to the UK to attend book and music festivals. The Bookseller reported this trend, quoting English PEN director Antonia Byatt's warning that the refusals present the UK as "a place that has closed its doors to international culture". You can read Heloise Wood's article on The Bookseller website. English PEN on BBC 2 Victoria Derbyshire Programme Communications Manager Robert Sharp was invited on to the BBC2 Victoria Derbyshire programme to discuss the banning of the controversial website InfoWars from social media platforms. You can view clips or watch the whole segment by following this link.

Authors' Cricket Club The Authors' Cricket Club are looking for new members and are particularly keen to recruit some more female members to the club. The Authors were an Edwardian cricket team and an offshoot of the Authors’ Club, founded in 1891 for writers to meet and talk. In 2012 the team was revived by Charlie Campbell and Nicholas Hogg. In their first season back they played over a dozen matches at some of England’s most historic grounds. Get in touch for more information or to register your interest, here.

English PEN Free Word Centre, 60 Farringdon Road, LONDON, London EC1R 3GA

English PEN's Brave New Voices at the BBC Proms Listen to participants in our outreach programme perform their poetry at the Ten Pieces Prom Dear friends — We are pleased to email you with another audio recording from an extraordinary event. On Sunday 29 July 2018, a group of participants in English PEN’s Brave New Voices outreach programme were invited to perform at the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. Their poem ‘Home’ was written in collaboration with writer and Brave New Voices co-ordinator Rosemary Harris, and translator Alice Guthrie, in partnership with Salusbury World. Prior to the performance, the young poets, who are all pupils at the Capital City Academy in Willesden, were featured on the BBC Six o'clock News. Watch the News Report Listen to the Performance The poem was written in response to Dvořák’s ‘New World Symphony’ which was performed at the Ten Pieces Prom by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Rafael Payare. We are extremely grateful to the John Lyon’s Charity, the Limbourne Trust and AB Charitable Trust for funding the Brave New Voices project. Become a member of English PEN English PEN defends freedom of expression in the UK and internationally English PEN champions exciting new literature in translation English PEN runs outreach programmes that give young people and refugees an opportunity to discover their own creative abilities English PEN rewards outstanding writing with annual prizes and hosts literary events all year round Our work is made possible through the generous support of our members. Why not join us today and become part of an active community that is passionate about literature and freedom of expression? Join English PEN Now English PEN Free Word Centre, 60 Farringdon Road, LONDON, London EC1R 3GA