KABUL – BERLIN – CAIRO

Over the last few months, ten Afghan writers and their families, about one hundred people, have been evacuated to Germany – thanks to the collaboration between the PEN Centre Germany and PEN International as well as extensive cooperation with the NGO Luftbrücke Kabul, the German Foreign Office, the Federal Ministry of the Interior and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.

In order to welcome the authors and at the same time to remember those who have been persecuted, imprisoned, convicted or murdered, the Akademie der Künste, the PEN Centre Germany and PEN Afghanistan are holding a benefit evening on 8 September 2022 – with readings, talks and music as well as texts by persecuted writers and journalists.

The evening will also support the work of the Writers in Prison / Writers at Risk Committee of PEN Germany. Writers all over the world are living in increasing danger, especially during Covid-19 and strict pandemic regulations. Autocracies are gaining momentum. Freedom of speech is in crisis.

Programme 

Welcome: Kathrin Röggla (Vice President of the Akademie der Künste)

Tandem readings of Afghan poetry, music, talks and video with Dastgir Farhood, Samay Hamed, Shiva Sharq Abdul Manan, Wahab Mujir, Tamana Tawangar, PEN President Josef Haslinger, Yoko Tawada, PEN Vice President and Writers-in-Exile Representative Astrid Vehstedt and Akademie and PEN members Jenny Erpenbeck and Christoph Hein, who is also the Honorary President of the German PEN Centre.

Valery Tscheplanowa reads texts from Writers in Prison / Writers at Risk

Music: Delagha Surood and Ardhi Engl

Host: Cornelia Zetzsche (Vice President and Writers in Prison Representative of the PEN Centre Germany)

Donations to Writers in Prison / Writers at Risk are welcome.