John Berger wins Golden PEN Award

Tuesday 1 December
John Berger wins Golden PEN Award

English PEN today announced the winner of the Golden PEN Award as John Berger. The award is given annually to an accomplished writer whose body of work has had a profound impact on readers and who is held in high regard by fellow writers and the literary community. It is also important that the recipient’s ethos is consistent with, and supportive of, the values upheld by English PEN.

The winner is elected by the Trustees of English PEN, who represent a membership of more than one thousand writers and literary professionals. The award will be presented to Berger, along with a golden pen and a cheque for £1,000, at the English PEN Christmas Party on Monday 7 December at the Artworker’s Guild in London. Previous winners of the award include JG Ballard, Josephine Pullein-Thompson, Michael Holroyd, Doris Lessing and Harold Pinter.

An English art critic, novelist, painter and author, Berger is best known for his novel G., which won the 1972 Booker Prize, and for his essays on art criticism Ways of Seeing. His most recent books are Why Look at Animals? a collection of essays, where Berger analyses the marginalisation of animals, and Mural, a translation along with Rema Hammami of Mahmoud Darwish’s epic masterpiece.

Lisa Appignanesi, President of English PEN said: “I am delighted that the Golden PEN 2009 is to be awarded to John Berger. His novels have enlivened readers of fiction for generations. So, too, have his luminous essays, which bring the far as near as your hand: they make us look afresh at the world, at animals, at politics, at all our relations. His Ways of Seeing changed the course of art criticism and practice, alike. His work in film and theatre, perhaps most notably with Complicite, bears as unique an imprint as his poems, drawings, and translations. Throughout, his passion for justice shines: most recently that has taken him into 'the world's largest waiting room' which is the West Bank, and 'the world's largest prison', Gaza. I can think of no better life in writing and no writer who does more honour to the Golden PEN than does John Berger by accepting it.”

Geoff Dyer, who will deliver the encomium at the prizegiving commented: “I can think of no worthier recipient of the Golden PEN 2009 Award: in the unparalleled range of his work, in his extraordinary originality and innovation, in his unflagging commitment and limitless compassion, John Berger is exemplary both as a writer and as a human being.”

English PEN is the founding centre of International PEN, a worldwide association of writers with centres in 104 countries around the world, and works to promote literature as a means of intercultural understanding; to promote freedom of speech; and to build a world community of writers.

English PEN is actively involved in a range of campaigns to help protect persecuted writers, promote freedom of expression and encourage interest in and access to literature.

Recent campaigns and projects include:

• Publishing a report, following a year-long inquiry in conjunction with Index on Censorship, which outlines recommendations for reforming the UK’s outdated and oppressive libel laws. For more information see www.libelreform.org

• Helping refugees, asylum seekers and those whose first language is not English improve their reading and writing skills and providing a forum for discussion and publication of their work.

• Campaigning on behalf of persecuted and imprisoned writers in countries where they may not be given a fair trial and where censorship abounds and critical public discussion is stifled. For the latest reports please see www.englishpen.org/writersinprison

• Tickets for the English PEN Christmas Party can be booked by English PEN Members through the website www.englishpen.org/events. A small number of press tickets will be available for non PEN members. If you would like to discuss a press ticket please contact Sarah Hesketh on sarah@englishpen.org

For information regarding the Golden PEN Award please contact:
Jonathan Heawood, Director

0207 324 2535 / jonathan@englishpen.org