The news from 'International PEN' and it's Centers around the globe: English PEN Events Spring 2011

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

English PEN Events Spring 2011

English PEN is starting the New Year with an exciting new events line-up. At Sentenced on 11 January, Wilbert Rideau will talk about his experiences of the brutality on death row, in conversation with Rachel Billington and Erwin James. Then, on 13 January, English PEN will be holding an event in partnership with the Poetry Society to mark the release of the winter issue of the Poetry Review. Poets Sean O’Brien and Karen McCarthy will be performing some of their work.

These and many more captivating events can be found on our website- you can click on individual events below for more details. We hope to see you at a PEN event soon!

Sentenced

Tuesday 11 January, 6.30pm

The Free Word Centre, 60 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3GA

A rare opportunity to hear American author and former death row inmate Wilbert Rideau read from his new book, In The Place Of Justice - a cry for the need to put rehabilitation before punishment in the brutal American prison system. Rachel Billington will host a discussion between Rideau and the acclaimed British prison writer and journalist Erwin James about their transformative journeys from being sentenced to becoming the authors of their own sentences. How can we use literature to unlock the skills and self-esteem of other inmates? This event celebrates over ten years of English PEN's Readers & Writers work sending writers and their books into British prisons.

Tickets for this event are £5 for English PEN members and £8 for non-members. To book, please call the Free Word Centre on 020 7324 2570 or visit their website. The ticket price includes a glass of wine.

The Poet’s Progress

Thursday 13 January, 6.30pm

The Free Word Centre, 60 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3GA

In association with the Poetry Society

English PEN is proud to support this very special launch of the winter issue of the leading poetry magazine, Poetry Review. During the day, the Review will be launched simultaneously in a refugee centre and a prison as part of English PEN's Readers & Writers programme. The day will culminate in this starry evening event including guest poets Sean O'Brien and Karen McCarthy Woolf who will explore their writing processes with editor Fiona Sampson. Both poets will then read a selection of new poems, including previews from Sean O'Brien's forthcoming collection, November.

Tickets for this event are £4 for English PEN and Poetry Society members and £8/£6 concessions for non-members. To book, please call The Poetry Society on 020 7420 9880.