PEN Canada is one of the 148 centres of PEN International. Founded in 1926, it has a membership of over 1,000 writers and supporters who campaign on behalf of writers around the world who are persecuted, imprisoned and exiled for exercising their right to

freedom of expression Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recog ...

. Since its founding, various PEN Centers around the world have campaigned on behalf of such acclaimed writers as Czech playwright

Václav Havel Václav Havel (; 5 October 193618 December 2011) was a Czech statesman, author, poet, playwright, and former dissident. Havel served as the last president of Czechoslovakia from 1989 until the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1992 and then ...

Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Chemistry, Physics, Physiolo ...

winner

Aung San Suu Kyi Aung San Suu Kyi (; ; born 19 June 1945) is a Burmese politician, diplomat, author, and a 1991 Nobel Peace Prize laureate who served as State Counsellor of Myanmar (equivalent to a prime minister) and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2 ...

of Burma, novelist

Salman Rushdie Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie (; born 19 June 1947) is an Indian-born British-American novelist. His work often combines magic realism with historical fiction and primarily deals with connections, disruptions, and migrations between Eastern and ...

and Turkey's 2006 Nobel laureate in literature, Orhan Pamuk. PEN Canada is a member of the

International Freedom of Expression Exchange IFEX, formerly International Freedom of Expression Exchange, is a global network of 124 independent non-governmental organisations that work at a local, national, regional, or international level to defend and promote freedom of expression as a ...

network. Over the years, PEN Canada membership has included many of the leading figures in the Canadian literary and cultural establishment, including

Margaret Atwood Margaret Eleanor Atwood (born November 18, 1939) is a Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, teacher, environmental activist, and inventor. Since 1961, she has published 18 books of poetry, 18 novels, 11 books of non-fiction, ...

Adrienne Clarkson Adrienne Louise Clarkson (; ; born February 10, 1939) is a Hong Kong-born Canadian journalist who served from 1999 to 2005 as Governor General of Canada, the 26th since Canadian Confederation. Clarkson arrived in Canada with her family in 19 ...

John Ralston Saul John Ralston Saul (born June 19, 1947) is a Canadian writer, political philosopher, and public intellectual. Saul is most widely known for his writings on the nature of individualism, citizenship and the Public good (economics), public good; t ...

David Cronenberg David Paul Cronenberg (born March 15, 1943) is a Canadian film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is one of the principal originators of what is commonly known as the body horror genre, with his films exploring visceral bodily transformation ...

and Yann Martel.

Programs

The Writers in Prison Committee advocates on behalf of 25-30 persecuted, imprisoned and murdered writers in countries such as Myanmar, China, Iran, Turkey, Mexico, Eritrea and Uzbekistan. Since January 2003, PEN Canada has seen the release from prison of 33 Honorary Members. International PEN's

Day of the Imprisoned Writer The Day of the Imprisoned Writer is an annual, international day intended to recognize and support writers who resist repression of the basic human right to freedom of expression and who stand up to attacks made against their right to impart in ...

is marked on November 15. The PEN Canada One Humanity Award honours a writer, journalist, academic or PEN Canada Honorary Member outside of Canada. The Writers in Exile Network establishes partnerships with Canadian universities, colleges and other institutions to create placements for writers who have found asylum in Canada, so that they may re-professionalize their skills in their new country. The City of Toronto/PEN Canada Writer in Exile Fellowship allows a refugee writer to be a member of the Toronto Writers’ Centre for one year. The TAXI Project and Readers & Writers "explore freedom of expression through the arts" with actors, writers in exile and established and community authors participating in schools and community readings and events. The Canadian Issues Committee run by PEN Canada acts as a watchdog on legislation and actions in Canada that violate the right to

guaranteed under the

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms The ''Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms'' (french: Charte canadienne des droits et libertés), often simply referred to as the ''Charter'' in Canada, is a bill of rights entrenched in the Constitution of Canada, forming the first part ...

. PEN Canada also participates in Freedom to Read Week by holding events to raise awareness about freedom of expression.

Awards and fellowships

One Humanity Award

The One Humanity Award has been given since 2006 to an international writer, journalist, academic, or honorary PEN member who has endured repression or shown courage in exercising their freedom of expression. The honour has been awarded to: * Jiang Weiping (2006) * Maung Thura, aka Zarganar (2008) * Lydia Cacho (2009) *

Sayed Pervez Kambaksh Sayed Parwez Kambaksh (also Sayed Parwiz Kambakhsh or Sayed Parwez Kaambaksh or Sayed Pervez Kambaksh) was born 24 July 1984 in Afghanistan. In late 2007, he was a student at Balkh University and a journalist for ''Jahan-e-Naw'' (''New World''), a ...

(2010) * Nasrin Sotoudeh (2011) *

Liu Xiaobo Liu Xiaobo (; 28 December 1955 – 13 July 2017) was a Chinese writer, literary critic, human rights activist, philosopher and Nobel Peace Prize laureate who called for political reforms and was involved in campaigns to end communist one- ...

(2012) *Nguyễn Văn Hải, aka Dieu Cay (2013) *

Raif Badawi Raif bin Muhammad Badawi ( ar, رائف بن محمد بدوي, also transcribed Raef bin Mohammed Badawi; born 13 January 1984) is a Saudi writer, dissident and activist, as well as the creator of the website ''Free Saudi Liberals''. Badawi wa ...

(2014) * Eskinder Nega (2015) * Azimjon Askarov (2016) *

Ashraf Fayadh Ashraf Fayadh ( ar, أشرف فياض, born 1980 in Saudi Arabia) is an artist and poet of Palestinian origin. He is the son of refugees from Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip and lives in Saudi Arabia. He was active in the British-Arabian arts organiza ...

(2017)

Presidents of PEN Canada

* Grace Westcott (2021- *

Richard Stursberg Richard Barclay Stursberg is a Canadian entertainment executive. He was Senior management, executive vice president of Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, CBC/Radio Canada from October 1, 2004 to August 6, 2010, narrated in his 2012 memoir ''The Towe ...

(2017-2021 * Randy Boyagoda (2015-2017) * Philip Slayton (2013-2015) *

Charles Foran Charles William Foran (born August 2 1960) is a Canadian writer in Toronto, Ontario. Life and career Foran was born in August 1960 in Toronto, Ontario to a Franco-Ontarian mother and a father from an Ottawa Irish family. He attended Catholic e ...

(2011-2013) * Ellen Seligman (2009-2011) *

Nelofer Pazira Nilofar Pazira ( fa, نیلوفر پذیرا) is an Afghan-Canadian director, actress, journalist and author. Biography Nelofer Pazira was born in 1973 in Hyderabad, India, where her Afghan father was then working with the World Health Organ ...

(2007-2009) * Constance Rooke (2005-2007) * Haroon Siddiqui (2003-2005) * Reza Baraheni (2001-2003) * Sandra Martin (1999-2001) * Ann Ireland (1998-1999) * Katherine Govier (1997-1998) * Ron Graham (1996-1997) *

Nino Ricci Nino Pio Ricci (born 1959) is a Canadian novelist who lives in Toronto, Ontario.Nino Ricci's
...

(1995-1996) * Marian Botsford Fraser (1994-1995) *

Alison Gordon Alison Ruth Gordon (January 1, 1943 – February 12, 2015) was a Canadian journalist and mystery novelist. She wrote for CBC and the ''Toronto Star'' in addition to a series of mystery novels. Early life and education Gordon was born January 1, ...

(1993-1994) * Louise Dennys (1992-1993) *

(1990-1992) * June Callwood (1989-1990) *

Graeme Gibson Thomas Graeme Cameron Gibson (9 August 1934 – 18 September 2019) was a Canadian novelist.Timothy Findley (1986-1987) *

(1984-1986)

References

External links

PEN CanadaPEN InternationalPEN America
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pen Canada Non-profit organizations based in Toronto Canadian writers' organizations Freedom of expression organizations Canada, PEN