International PEN mourns the loss of Georges Anglade

14 January 2010

Dear Friends,

I have just learnt that Georges Anglade and his wife Mireille Neptune have been killed in the earth quake in Haiti.

Georges was the founding President of PEN Haïti and a member of the Board of Quebec-PEN, a wonderful writer, a courageous man who had stood up to the enemies of free expression. He had an amazing spirit and enthusiasm which drove him to continue to stand up and speak out for literature and freedom. He was a force of nature. Perhaps that is why I find it difficult to accept that he is now gone. He was a good friend to many of you and I personally felt him as a dear friend, the kind of friend you could always count on.

I will miss him as I know you will.

John Ralston Saul
President

Click here to read John Ralston Saul's tribute to Georges Anglade in the Globe and Mail

Dear Friends,

It is with great sadness that we write to inform you that Georges Anglade and his wife Mireille Neptune, have been killed in the earth quake in Haiti.

We are awaiting news of the other members of Haitian PEN and will of course ensure that we keep you up dated.

In the only too short time we had to get to know Georges and Mireille, they had become an essential part of our PEN family. Georges' strength and leadership in establishing a PEN Centre in Haiti was an inspiration to us all and his warmth and generosity made him a great friend.

We will be discussing ways of celebrating their lives and work and would welcome thoughts from you as to how best to do so. If you would like to send us your own personal memories of Georges to post on the International PEN website we would be pleased to do so.

With our warmest wishes at this sad time,

John Ralston Saul
President

Eugene Schoulgin
International Secretary

Caroline McCormick
Executive Director

Click on the link to read a Biography of Georges Anglade

Click below to read more messages of condolence from the International PEN community

Messages of condolence from the International PEN community

Take Action

We have received messages from PEN members in Haiti.

Kettly Mars of Haiti PEN has written "Our situation is serious and we urgently need aid. Medicine, water, food. International aid is starting to come but there will never be enough. Thank you for relaying this."

Please find below links to the Haiti Appeal of the International Red Cross and Oxfam, or contact the relevant aid agency in your country.

International Committee of the Red Cross
www.icrc.org

Oxfam
www.oxfam.org

http://www.internationalpen.org.uk/go/news/international-pen-mourns-the-loss-of-georges-anglade