Tag Archives: PEN International

Letters With Wings: When Art Meets Activism (Imagine! Belfast Festival)

Posted on March 29, 2021 by Lia Mills

This event, organised by Letters With Wings, was dedicated to the women artists Chimengul Awut (award-winning Uyghur poet) and Nûdem Durak (a folk-musician of Kurdish origin who is a political prisoner in Turkey). Participants included: Lia Mills (Chair of Irish … Continue reading →

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Imprisoned Voices: A Hearing

Posted on November 15, 2019 by Lia Mills

Today is PEN International’s Day of the Imprisoned Writer. Last night, the Freedom to Write Campaign held a poetry reading in the brilliant Parnell Square premises of Poetry Ireland, who were supporting the event, as was Irish PEN. The format … Continue reading →

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Writers Under Threat: Nurcan Baysal, Daphne Caruana Galizia

Posted on October 21, 2019 by Lia Mills

  Last Wednesday I was at a moving, powerful vigil for murdered Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Many people spoke about Daphne’s life and read from her work. She had been a consistent campaigner against corruption and collusion throughout her … Continue reading →

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POETRY MEMORIAL FOR DAPHNE CARUANA GALIZIA – Call for poems

Posted on September 25, 2019 by Lia Mills

It’s hard to believe that almost two years have passed since the Maltese anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was murdered, but 16th October will mark the second anniversary of her death.  A fierce critic of the political establishment in Malta, … Continue reading →

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CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY: Wednesday March 6th @ Toner’s (Baggot Street) at 7:30 pm

Posted on February 27, 2019 by Lia Mills

Here’s a small break in tradition: this blog doesn’t usually advertise events in advance (or ever) – but this event is different. The Freedom to Write Campaign group is organising an (almost) International Women’s Day Reading, hosted by Staccato Literary … Continue reading →

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UPDATE ON RAIF BADAWI (previous post)

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Lia Mills

According to Kevin Rawlinson in the guardian, Raif Badawi may be retried and sentenced to be beheaded for apostasy: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/01/raif-badawi-could-be-retried-and-beheaded-family-ensaf-haidar-apostasy In addition to campaigns by Amnesty and PEN International mentioned previously, there is a Facebook page campaigning for his release: https://www.facebook.com/free.badawi

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On Censorship, Iranian Film & Saudi Blogging

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Lia Mills

(A version of this piece was broadcast on Arena on 18th Feb):  http://www.rte.ie/radio/utils/radioplayer/rteradioweb.html#!rii=9%3A20731200%3A1526%3A18%2D02%2D2015%3A Recently I saw an Iranian film by Mohammad Rasoulof: Manuscripts Don’t Burn. It tells a creepy, absorbing story about censorship and corruption impinging on the lives of dissident writers in … Continue reading →

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The Right to Blog

Posted on January 18, 2015 by Lia Mills

Two days ago I got an email/Press Release from Irish PEN calling for the release of Saudi blogger Raif Badawi – and his lawyer Abu al-Khair – from prison. Badawi’s crime? Setting up a website, the Saudi Free Liberals Forum. … Continue reading →

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