PEN hosts literary event with displaced writers in Oslo
PEN Norway and PEN International are hosting an evening of readings with exiled writers in Oslo as part of PEN's Make Space Campaign and UNHCR's #WithRefugees campaign, which aims to create opportunities for writers who have experienced forced displacement or are living in exile.
Through Make Space, PEN hopes to generate better cross-cultural understanding and an exploration of what it is to host displaced communities in resettlement settings; challenge stereotypes around exile and asylum; and redress a societal imbalance that too often means writers who have experienced displacement face marginalisation or discrimination.
The campaign launched in 2017 with support from renowned writers from around the world, including Nobel Laureates, PEN Centres and members including Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Elfriede Jelinek, Ahmedurrashid Tutul, Stephen Fry, Hanan Al-Shaykh, Lev Rubinstein, Karl Ove Knausgaard, Salman Rushdie, Ece Temelkuran, Boris Akunin, Sanna Aoun, Margaret Atwood, Neil Gaiman, Yann Martel, Sofi Oksanen, Urvashi Butalia, Chigozie Obioma, Noo Saro-Wiwa, Isabel Allende, Inua Ellams, Ocean Vuong, Rafeef Ziadah, Elena Poniatowska and Viet Thanh Nguyen'
Voicing her support for the Make Space Camapign, Renowned Chilean writer Isabel Allende, who herself was a refugee, said of the campaign’s hope to challenge xenophobia through cultural sharing and literature:
‘It’s very easy to create a sense of hatred when you talk numbers, but when you see the faces of people, when you look at them in the eye one by one, then the whole thing changes, and that’s what art and literature can do.’
The evening will feature writers from Iran, Iraq, Bangladesh Afghanistan, Eritrea and Syria, all of whom have been forced to flee their native countries as result of their free expression work. Many of the writers are current or former residence of the International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN), an independent organisation of cities and regions offering shelter to writers and artists at risk, advancing freedom of expression, defending democratic values and promoting international solidarity. PEN International is a member of UNHCR’s #WithRefugees campaign coalition, a powerful group of almost 400 different organizations that are making a difference for people forced to flee.
The event in Norway is the latest stop on the campaign’s World Tour - a series of events to mobilize solidarity with refugees. The tour started with a sports day in Za’atari refugee in Jordan camp and featured fashion shows in Chicago, events with refugee children in Turkey and documentary showings at the Cannes Film Festival.
Leigh Foster, head of the campaign for UNHCR said,
"We’re delighted to be working with PEN International in such a creative and inspiring event showcasing the talents and stories of refugee writers. When people are forced to flee they may leave their physical possessions behind but their memories and talents remain. This event also delivers a powerful testimonial on the need to make sure all refugees have a safe place to live."
About PEN International
PEN International promotes literature and freedom of expression and is governed by the PEN Charter and the principles it embodies: unhampered transmission of thought within each nation and between all nations. Founded in London in 1921, PEN International – PEN’s Secretariat – connects an international community of writers. It is a forum where writers meet freely to discuss their work; it is also a voice speaking out for writers silenced in their own countries. Through Centres in over 100 countries, PEN operates on five continents. PEN International is a non-political organisation which holds Special Consultative Status at the UN and Associate Status at UNESCO. PEN International is a registered charity in England and Wales with registration number 1117088
About the #WithRefugees Campaign UNHCR’s #WithRefugees Campaign was launched in 2016 against the backdrop of record breaking levels of human displacement by war - coinciding with rising levels of intolerance and xenophobia. The Campaign seeks to channel global public support for families forced to flee their homes and calls for all refugees to be able to live in safety, have access to education and be able to support their families