Tuesday 20th March 2012, 18.30 – 20.30
Free Word Centre, 60 Farringdon Road, Farringdon, EC1R 3GA
Liu Xiaobo, an Honorary Member of English PEN, is the only Nobel laureate currently in detention. On 25 December 2009, Liu was convicted of ‘incitement to subversion’ for his role in Charter 08, an extraordinary declaration calling for political reform and greater human rights. He is not due for release until 2020.
On 20 March 2012, the International Literature Festival Berlin (ilb) is organising the second annual Worldwide Reading for imprisoned Chinese writer and Nobel Laureate Liu Xiaobo. The goal of the worldwide reading is to share Liu Xiaobo’s works, and to remind the world that a humanist, a freedom fighter, an outstanding writer, and a Nobel Peace Prize winner is still in behind bars, and to protest against it. Last year, almost 100 organisations and institutions, including our King’s College London student group, participated in the Worldwide Reading, and there are even more events planned for this year.
To mark the day, our King’s College London PEN group will be holding a screening of ‘I have no enemies: A Portrait of Liu Xiaobo’. The 30-minute documentary, directed by Claudine Parrish and produced by Nobel Media, features interviews with many of Liu Xiaobo’s friends and colleagues, including celebrated international artistAi Weiwei and fellow Tiananmen hunger striker Zhou Duo. The screening will be followed by a reading of some of Liu’s poetry and the work of other Chinese writers of concern to PEN, including Zhu Yufu and Shi Tao.
Entry is free but as space is limited, please email [email protected]
Even if you are unable to join us for this event in London, you can still get involved in the Worldwide Reading for Liu Xiaobo by holding your own readings, sending letters of appeal, and writing messages of support to Liu.