Irish PEN/PEN na hÉireann on the Poetry Programme at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday 10/01/21

Don’t miss THE POETRY PROGRAMME on this Sunday, 10th January 2021, hosted by Olivia O’Leary.

https://www.rte.ie/radio1/the-poetry-programme/

Poets Kate Ennals and John O’Donnell will discuss, and read from, the poetry of  İlhan Sami Çomak and Chimengul Awut.

John and Kate are both Board members of the new Irish PEN/PEN na hÉireann, launched November last on the Day of the Imprisoned Writer.

www.irishpen.com

Chimengul Awut is a Chinese editor and poet, recently released after two years in a ‘re-education camp’. She had been imprisoned – without formal charge – because of her work editing a Uyghur-language novel. It is estimated that up to 1.8 million people may be detained in similar camps throughout China.

https://www.uyghurpen.org/tag/chimengul-awut/

İlhan Sami Çomak is a Kurdish poet, one of Turkey’s longest-serving political prisoners. He was arrested in 1994 and charged with membership of the banned PKK Kurdish militia, a charge he has always denied. In jail, Çomak has released eight books of poetry.

https://ilhancomak.com/

The aims of Irish PEN/PEN na hÉireann are: to promote literature in and about Ireland both nationally and internationally; to defend worldwide the right of writers to responsible freedom of expression as defined in the PEN Charter; and to foster international understanding through the appreciation of literature.

Membership of Irish PEN/PEN na hÉireann is now open. Full Membership of Irish PEN/PEN na hÉireann is open to Writers, Poets, Playwrights, Editors, Essayists, Novelists, Translators and Bloggers. (€40 per calendar year)

https://www.irishpen.com/become-a-member/

Associate Membership is open to those who take an active interest in literature and subscribe to Irish PEN/PEN na hÉireann’s principles on responsible freedom of expression. (€30 per calendar year)

Membership for students and people who are unwaged costs €10 per calendar year.