Skip to content
  • Common Currency
  • Campaigns
    • PENWrites
    • Writers at Risk
    • Writers in Residence
    • Free speech in the UK
  • News
  • Events
  • Translation
    • PEN Translates
    • PEN Transmissions
    • International Translation Day
    • The World Bookshelf
      • Books
      • Authors
      • Translators
    • PEN Presents
      • Issues
      • Books
      • Apply to PEN Presents
  • Prizes
    • PEN Pinter Prize
    • PEN Ackerley Prize
    • PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize
  • Donate
  • Join
Home > Campaigns > writers in residence > Zehra Doğan

Zehra Doğan

"Thank you for this collective solidarity on behalf of prisoners… With all my heart I thank PEN International and all the PEN clubs."

Zehra Doğan

Kurdish artist and journalist Zehra Doğan is the founding editor of the all-female news agency Jin News Agency (JİNHA), one of the many media outlets to have been closed in Turkey in the wake of the failed coup in 2016. Zehra herself was also among the many journalists to be arrested and imprisoned, serving almost three years in prison in Turkey on charges of ‘propagandising for a terrorist organisation’ in relation to her work. A key case of concern to PEN throughout her time in detention, Zehra was finally released from prison in February 2019.

 

Zehra arrived in London in March 2019, and in April won the Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Award for Arts. She dedicated the award to those still imprisoned in Turkey:

 

“Turkey’s prisons are filled with artists, intellectuals and politicians because we reject these limits forced upon our freedom of expression and we will continue to reject them… Although they are trying to restrict our freedom of expression in the prisons through the books they refuse to give us and the letters they find ‘suspect’, there are countless inmates who have overcome this situation through their own productivity. I dedicate this prize to them.”

 

You can read and watch her acceptance speech here.

 

During her residency, Zehra was active and engaged with the UK and international art world, including presenting installations and exhibitions, taking part in public events with a number of key art partners, writing articles and stories, and painting. She travelled to France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland for exhibitions of her work, meetings with publishers, and to take part in public events, conferences and performances. A collection of her writings Nous aurons aussi de beaux jours (We will also have beautiful days), translated into French by Naz Öke and Daniel Fleury, was published in France by Editions des Femmes in October 2019, and the graphic novel she worked on during her residency is forthcoming from Editions Delcourt. 

 

In October 2019, Zehra travelled to Beirut, Lebanon where she was announced as winner of the May Chidiac Foundation Exceptional Courage in Journalism Award. Zehra dedicated the prize to ‘journalist colleagues who are searching for real information in Rojava at this very moment.’

 

For press and event enquiries, please email [email protected]

 

We are grateful to our partners, and to Index on Censorship and the International Women’s Media Foundation, for their support for Zehra’s residency.

Related news

Sema Kaygusuz
Turkey
Sema Kaygusuz in conversation
Writers in Residence

09 Feb 2023

Buse Söğütlü
Turkey

Join our mailing list

Sign up to receive the latest English PEN news and events.

SIGN UP
  • About
  • Privacy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Partners
  • Outreach
  • Jobs
  • Contact us

With thanks to our Core Funders

©1921 - 2023

English PEN is a company limited by guarantee number 5747142 (England & Wales) and a registered charity, number 1125610.

We use cookies to help us improve your experience on our website. By closing this notification or interacting with the website you agree to our use of cookies. ACCEPT Find out more
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT