English Pen’s Writers in Public summer season of events is now online and available for booking. Highlights in the next few months include Jachym Topol, Misha Glenny, Zadie Smith, Lee Langley, Philip Hensher, Ali Smith and the English PEN Summer Party. Do visit the website www.englishpen.org/events to see the full programme.
Free Zarganar_____________________________________________________________________
Monday 3 May, 2pm
Venue: Trafalgar Square, London
Burma's most famous comedian, Zarganar, is currently serving a 35-year prison sentence for his criticism of the Burmese government's handling of Cyclone Nargis in May 2008. The cyclone devastated the country - more than 140,000 people died and millions were made homeless. To mark World Press Freedom Day 2010 and to pay tribute to our brave colleague Zarganar, we will be holding an afternoon of poetry, performance and dance in London's Trafalgar Square, where we will be calling for his immediate release. Everyone is welcome to come and join in, so please do spread the word!
Please wear red to help show your support and bring along an umbrella - the more colourful the better - to take part in our umbrella stunt.
Jachym Topol – Gargling with Tar ____________________
In association with Granta/Portobello and the Czech Institute
Tuesday 11 May, 6.30pm
Venue: Free Word Centre, 60 Farringdon Road, London, EC1R 3GA
Tickets: £5 PEN members, £8 non members
Winner of the Tom Stoppard Prize for Unofficial Literature, Jachym Topol was a key figure in the Czech samizdat movement and since the Velvet Revolution his writing has given voice to the sense of dislocation that followed the fall of Communism. In conversation with acclaimed journalist Misha Glenny, Topol will be discussing his latest novel, Gargling with Tar, an urgent and blackly humorous account of both a young boy - and a country - coming of age.
In addition to our usual Waitrose wine we will be serving Bernard Premium Czech lager after the event. Kindly provided by the Czech Institute.
Georgian Film and Music ____________________________________________
Friday 14 May, 6.30pm
Venue: Free Word Centre, 60 Farringdon Road, London, EC1R 3GA
EPIC Short Films and Conciliation Resources present an evening of Georgian film, screened for the first time in UK, followed by discussion and music. Five short films, made by professional and citizen journalists, tell intimate and personal stories about daily life, dreams and conflict in Georgia. The films are produced by Eyewitness Studios, part of a new media initiative Go Group Media that aims to get real life stories into Georgian TV programming that is otherwise unrepresentative, swamped by propaganda and imported viewing. Margarita Akhvlediani, director of Go Group Media will lead a Q & A session after the films.
For the second part of the evening Tabuni, a London based women's ensemble singing Georgian folk songs and chants, lead by Tamta Turmanidze, will perform a short programme of songs from various regions of Georgia, accompanied by wine and khachapuri (traditional Georgian cheese bread).
Entrance is free though there will be a charge for wine and khachapuri. To book your place please email bookings@freewordonline.com or call 020 7324 2570. For a taster of some of the films we will be showing please click here.
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