From Friday 11th to Sunday 13th April 2008

London’s South Bank, SE1


This spring, London sees the arrival of an entirely new kind of literary festival, which will showcase  the best writing from around the globe in unexpected and extraordinary encounters. Free the Word!, curated by International PEN, takes place over one long weekend at four celebrated venues on London’s South Bank. It features world renowned writers such as Ngûgî wa Thiong’o, Alaa Al Aswany, Salman Rushdie and Azar Nafisi alongside emerging voices such as Australian talent Alexis Wright, 2007 winner of the Miles Franklin Award, and Icelandic novelist, poet and Björk collaborator, Sjón.


French writers at Free the World!:
 
As part of Free the Word!, we have two special writers joining us from France. International Man Booker Prize judges, Azar Nafisi and Alberto Manguel, will be in conversation with French maverick de lettres Daniel Pennac about the Rights of the Reader and libraries of the imagination. Pennac is one of the most translated authors in France today, with books for both adults and children appearing in more than 30 languages around the world. He is perhaps best known for his ‘Belleville Quartet’, while ‘The Rights of the Reader’ (‘Comme Un Roman’), has sold over a million copies in France. ‘Chagrin D’Ecole’, his memoir of painful school days, won the Prix Renaudot 2007. This occasion will mark the first time that Manguel and Pennac have met despite being great admirers of each other’s work.


Also, the young French/Algerian ‘banlieue’ writer, Faïza Guène, makes an exclusive UK appearance to discuss straddling two cultures and building a home in language. Guène wrote her first novel, ‘Just Like Tomorrow’ (‘Kiffe Kiffe Demain’) at 17, selling over 300,000 copies. Her second novel ‘Dreamz from the Endz’ will be published in the UK in June 2008.


Other writers taking part in Free the Word! include Hassan Abdulrazzak, Francisco Goldman, Maureen Freely, Yang Lian, Mohamed Magani, Perihan Mağden, Emine Sevgi Özdamar, Nii Ayikwei Parkes and many more…

Schedule:

- The Rights of the Reader: Azar Nafisi, Daniel Pennac and Alberto Manguel

Saturday 12 April 7.45pm

A celebration of the liberating power of stories and storytelling - three writers discuss how the world can act as a library for the imagination. Nafisi’s memoir, ‘Reading Lolita in Tehran’, draws on her experiences as a literature professor in Iran. Pennac, recipient of the Prix Renaudot 2007, ruminates on parenthood and being a teacher in ‘The Rights of the Reader’. The New York Times described Manguel’s ‘A Reading Diary’ as ‘a veritable museum of literacy’. This event will be chaired by Amanda Hopkinson, Director of the British Centre for Literary Translation, and interpreted by Carine Kennedy.

Tickets: £10

Venue:
Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall
Southbank Centre
Belvedere Road
London SE1 8XX


- Faïza & Friends: Faïza Guène, Cleo Soazandry and Kadija Sesay

Sunday 13 April 1.45pm

The 22 year old French-Algerian ‘street’ writer makes an exclusive UK appearance. Described by the Guardian as ‘a kind of White Teeth’, Faïza Guène’s novel ‘Just Like Tomorrow’ (‘Kiffe Kiffe Demain’), was translated into 26 languages and shortlisted for the Young Minds Book Award. Together with Brixton slangsta Cleo Soazandry and SABLE editor Kadija Sesay, Faïza will be giving a different spin to the festival theme, The Writer Next Door – talking about insiders, outsiders, and building a home in language.

Tickets: £5

Venue:
The Old Vic
The Cut
London SE1 8NB
 
To book and for more information about all Free the Word! events visit www.internationalpen.org.uk