PEN Canada

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

What is Pen Canada?

PEN Canada is one of 144 centres of International PEN that is located in 102 countries, with at total of 15,000 members worldwide. International PEN was founded in 1921 to dispel national, ethnic, and racial hatreds and to promote understanding among all countries.

Pen Canada, founded five years later in 1926, has a membership of over 1,000 writers and supporters who campaign on behalf of writers around the world persecuted, imprisoned and exiled in violation of their right to freedom of expression.

Since its founding, PEN has campaigned on behalf of such acclaimed writers as Czech playwright Vaclav Havel, Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma, novelist Salman Rushdie and Turkey’s 2006 Nobel Laureate in literature, Orhan Pamuk.

Over the years, PEN Canada membership has been comprised of many of the leading figures in the Canadian literary establishment, including Margaret Atwood, Adrienne Clarkson, John Ralston Saul, David Cronenberg and, Yann Martel.

PEN Canada Programs

The Writers in Prison Committee advocates on behalf of 25-30 persecuted, imprisoned and murdered writers in countries such as Myanmar, China, Iran, Turkey, Mexico, Eritrea and Uzbekistan. Since January 2003, PEN Canada has seen the release from prison of 33 Honorary Members. International PEN Day of the Imprisoned Writer is marked on November 15. The PEN Canada One Humanity Award honours a writer, journalist, academic or PEN Canada Honorary Member outside of Canada.

The Writers in Exile Network establishes partnerships with Canadian universities, colleges and other institutions to create placements for writers who have found asylum in Canada, so that they may re-professionalize their skills in their new country. ; the City of Toronto/PEN Canada Writer in Exile Fellowship allows a refugee writer to be a member of the Toronto Writers’ Centre for one year.

The TAXI Project and Readers & Writers “explore freedom of expression through the arts” with actors, writers in exile and established and community authors participating in schools and community readings and events.

The National Affairs program run by PEN Canada acts as a watchdog on legislation and actions in Canada that violate the right to freedom of expression guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Pen Canada also participates in freedom to read week holding an event to raise awareness about freedom of expression.

[edit] Awards and Fellowships

The PEN Canada/Paul Kidd Courage Prize is given to a Canadian journalist and recognizes exceptional courage in the quest for freedom of expression.
The PEN Canada/RBC Writer’s Fellowship for New Canadians enables a writer in exile to receive a stipend in a university residency.
The City of Toronto/PEN Canada Writer in Exile Fellowship allows a refugee writer to be a member of the Toronto Writers’ Centre for one year.