Author(s): International PEN
Date: 9th July, 2007
73rd International PEN Congress
The Word, the World and Human Values
Meridian President Hotel, Dakar, Senegal
Wednesday 4 Wednesday 11 July 2007
Official opening in the presence of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Senegal
Thursday 5 July 15h00
Opening Press Conference Thursday 5 July 18h30
In attendance:
Jiří Gruša, International President of International PEN
Joanne Leedom-Ackerman, International Secretary of International PEN
Mbaye Gana Kébé, President of Senegalese PEN Centre
Alioune Badara Beye, Secretary General of Senegalese PEN Centre
Amadou Lamine Sall, Vice President of Senegalese PEN Centre
International PEN, the worldwide association of writers, stages its 73rd Congress in Dakar, Senegal from 4 11 July, with more than 200 writers from over 70 countries gathering to celebrate the wealth of world literature and particularly African literature. Writers from across Africa and from every continent will engage in cultural exchanges, share literary achievements, and highlight cases of repression of writers and abuses of freedom of expression. This years Congress theme, The Word, the World and Human Values, was selected by PENs African Centres. Writers participating in the programmes include Bernard Dadier (Ivory Coast), Jean Baptiste Tati Loutard (Congo), Fernando D’Almeida (Cameroon), Dieudonné Muka Kadima Nzuji (Congo), Tanure Ojaide (South Africa) and Frédéric Pacéré titinga (Burkina Faso).
International PEN and its Centres are delighted to be gathering in Senegal, a country which holds literature in high regard, in part because its first President, Leopold Senghor, was the internationally renowned poet but he was also a Vice President of International PEN, says International PEN President Jiří Gruša. In the days ahead we look forward to exploring this most important Congress theme in our literary discussions and in our Committee work.
International Secretary Joanne Leedom-Ackerman notes, This is the second time in its 86-year history that International PEN has held its Congress in Africa. The Congress here reflects PENs growth in Africa over the last decade. We now have 15 active African Centres and expect to add even more. Writers across the continent are engaged in PENs mission of promoting literature and defending freedom of expression. Many of PENs African Centres are also engaged in reaching out to youth with literature.
Throughout the week, there will be round tables, workshops and literary programmes as well as events organised by Senegalese PEN Centre celebrating Senegalese writers and artists.
From 2006, International PEN has agreed focus regions in which to concentrate its programmatic work. This year sees the realisation of work across PENs African Centres. Projects range from promoting reading in rural agricultural communities and writing and reading in schools, staging seminars and presentations, supporting local languages, and using literature to champion the rights of women and girls.
Caroline McCormick, Executive Director of International PEN notes, International PEN is working in partnership with its African Centres to address challenges, which they have identified in the region. Essential to this work is the role of continued engagement with reading, writing and ideas in bringing about change and empowering civil society. We are extremely proud of the remarkable work of the Centres in the region and this Congress gives the opportunity for all Centres to exchange ideas and best practice.
To further celebrate this work, on Saturday 7 July, International PEN in association with TrustAfrica, a new African foundation that promotes peace, economic development and social justices, will host Freedoms Literary Event a night of African literature. A panel of writers including Jack Mapanje (Malawi), Maliya Mzyece-Sililo (Zambia), Binyavanga Wainaina (Kenya) and Ekbal Baraka (Egypt) will read from their work and discuss the rich variety of African writing today.
This Congress also hosts the International Women Writers Committee Conference 11 12 July. It will examine the challenges faced by women writers across the world, engage with current issues of freedom of expression and censorship and self-censorship, discuss womens literacy and education opportunities and explore publishing potential for voices that struggle to be heard for reasons outside their control. Meetings of the Writers in Prison Committee, Translation and Linguistic Rights Committee, Writers for Peace Committee and the Writers in Exile Network will also take place in the days ahead.
A press conference to close Congress will be held on Wednesday 11 July 16h30.
About International PEN
Established in 1921, International PEN is the worldwide association of writers. Today, it has 144 Centres in 101 countries and exists to promote literature, to develop friendship and intellectual cooperation among writers everywhere and to defend freedom of expression. Its membership is open to all published writers who subscribe to the PEN Charter regardless of nationality, language, race, colour or religion. International PEN is a non-political organisation and has consultative status at UNESC and the United Nations.
For more information please contact Emily Bromfield, International PEN Communications Manager.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 011 44 20 7405 0338/0022 12 281 781
Web: www.internationalpen.org.uk
Congress is hosted by Senegalese PEN Centre and International PEN.
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