22 – 28 May 2006
Congress Theme: Writing in a World without Peace
The International PEN Congress is open to all PEN members and will take place from 22 until 28 May in Berlin’s historic centre, at the Hilton Hotel on the Gendarmenmarkt, against an architectural backdrop emanating from the spirit of German history. Major evening events accompanying the Congress will be held at historical venues such as the Berliner Ensemble, the Academy of Arts and the French cathedral.
There will be three major evening events: a long night of literature with many prominent authors from throughout the world, an evening, which is specially devoted to African literature, and an evening during which writers of German literature, who have immigrated from abroad to Germany or have a non-German cultural background, will be presented.
Three afternoon events (literary sessions) have been scheduled as part of the Congress daytime programme: a session in which prominent PEN members each present an author of their choice, an afternoon of essays and discussions, which is devoted to the motto of the Congress Writing in a World without Peace and a lyric poetry afternoon.
We are very happy and grateful that Guter Grass, recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature and a long-standing member of the German PEN Centre, has consented to give the opening address at the Congress.