English PEN Events, February 2010

Just a quick reminder of some of the events English PEN has coming up in the next few weeks. Full details of our Writers in Public programme can also be found on the English PEN website: www.englishpen.org

Three Streets in the Country ­­­­________________________

Friday 12 February, 6.30pm

Venue: Edmond J Safra Lecture Theatre, King’s Building, Strand Campus, King’s College London WC2R 2LS

Tickets: This is a free event but booking is essential. To book, or for more information, please contact susie.christensen@kcl.ac.uk or lara.feigel@kcl.ac.uk.

Three Streets in the Country (60 mins) is a subjective history of the London suburbs written by Michael Frayn and directed by Dennis Marks. It was commissioned as part of a series of authored films about British architecture and broadcast in 1979. In the film, Frayn chose to tell the remarkable story of the exponential growth of suburbia by focusing on his own childhood home district of Ewell in South West London. Through the minute details of ordinary life as perceived by an eleven year old child, Frayn and Marks painted a picture of the dream of the rural within the urban which inspired the builders of a century ago. Twenty years later, Frayn revisted the same wartime suburban streets and made them the background for his acclaimed novel Spies. Here, a screening of the film will be followed by a discussion between Frayn and Marks about their childhoods in the suburbs and their experience of making the film.

The talk is followed by a drinks reception. It is free and open to the public but booking is essential.

Love and Hate in Burma: A Poetry Protest

Sunday 14 February, 2-3pm

Venue: Burmese Embassy, 19A Charles Street, London W1J 5DX

To mark the second anniversary of Burmese poet Saw Wei's arrest and imprisonment, English PEN, the Democratic Party for a New Society in Burma (DPNS) and London-based poets will be holding a poetry protest outside the Burmese Embassy in London. We will be calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Saw Wei and of the many other Burmese writers of concern to PEN, including Honorary Members Aung San Suu Kyi and Zargana.

The protest will begin at 2pm. Please do join us if you can, and bring Valentine balloons and cards addressed to Saw Wei.

For more details, please click here or email cat@englishpen.org.

Taboo-Be-Do! Hits and Misses from the Politically Incorrect Songbook

Monday 15 February, 7.30pm

Venue: The King’s Head Theatre Pub, 115 Upper Street, London, N1 1QN

Tickets: £12, Visit www.kingsheadtheatre.org

Author Terence Blacker takes an eye-opening, foot-tapping journey through 100 years of politically incorrect music as part of the guitar duo Something Happened. Delving into the back catalogues of jazz, country, folk, bluegrass and pop, Blacker, his musical partner Derek Hewitson and contemporary diva Victoria Hart offer a shamelessly cheerful celebration of the outrageous, the ill-considered and the downright inappropriate.

The Patience Stone ___________________________________

Tuesday 23 February, 7pm

Venue: Daunt Bookshop, 83 Marylebone High Street, London, W1U 4QW

Tickets: £8 (includes wine and 20% discount off the book). Tickets can be purchased from the Daunt Marylebone shop in person, or with credit-debit card by telephone (020 7224 2295)

Winner of France's prestigious Goncourt Prize for 2008, and set in modern-day Afghanistan, The Patience Stone is an explosive, controversial and moving short novel that takes a compelling literary look behind the veil, daring to confront taboos of female oppression and sexuality. Atiq Rahimi author of this acclaimed book will be in conversation with Roz Schwartz, Vice-Chair of the Writers in Translation Programme of English PEN.