Archive

Writing is like dragging rocks over ice

Ahead of his appearance at Edinburgh International Book Festival, Jesús Carrasco muses on writing as work and why perseverance makes poetry.

The European Mohammed and the Ignorance of the Educated

The Independent Foreign Fiction Prize-winning author of The Iraqi Christ responds to the European refugee crisis.

'No se mata la verdad' / 'You cannot kill the truth'

Acclaimed journalist and activist Lydia Cacho responds to the murder of the Mexican photojournalist Rubén Espinosa.

Trading Stories

Roland Gulliver, Associate Director of Edinburgh International Book Festival, shares thoughts on this year's theme, Trading Stories.

Copyright

Russian writer Kirill Medvedev discusses intellectual property, the concept of the common good and his vision for the future of ideas.

Hong Kong literature inside and outside of the Umbrella Movement

Dorothy Tse investigates the role of literature in Hong Kong's pro-democracy Umbrella Movement, and asks what the future of Hong Kong literature is.

PEN Atlas Q&A: Etgar Keret

A PEN Atlas Q&A with Etgar Keret, who is in the UK promoting his PEN-supported essay collection The Seven Good Years.

An enigma called money

Richard Weiner Finds Himself in an Awkward Situation

Benjamin Paloff sheds light on the life and work of Richard Weiner (1884–1937), widely considered to be one of the most important Czech writers of the 20th century even though his writing was suppressed until 1989.

PEN Atlas Q&A: Roberto Saviano

Investigative reporter Roberto Saviano discusses his latest book Zero Zero Zero, the global cocaine trade, and the personal cost of speaking the truth.

Protest as Dance

Ahead of his appearance at Ledbury Poetry Festival, poet and translator George Szirtes writes on the lyricism and wit at the heart of poetic protest.

PEN Atlas Q&A: Margaret Mazzantini

The author of PEN-supported novel Morning Sea discusses links between writing, revolution and dreaming, and Italy's complex relationship with emigration

Pol Pot's engaging smile

Peter Idling writes for PEN Atlas on the man who would be Pol Pot, the darker side of human nature and what drives people to destruction

Wole Soyinka’s poetry: the insistence on liberty

Carmen Bugan on Wole Soyinka's insistence on liberty.

PEN Atlas Q&A: Jenny Erpenbeck

In this special PEN Atlas Q&A, winner of the 2015 Independent Foreign Fiction Prize Jenny Erpenbeck shares thoughts on history, narrative and her relationship with her translator

Lost and Found: Shortlisting for the European Literature Night Translation Pitch 2015

How does the future look for European fiction? Rajendra Chitnis and Rosalind Harvey discuss their experiences of shortlisting for this year's ELN Translation Pitch event

Ayotzinapa

As representatives of the 43 disappeared students of Ayotzinapa arrive in London, Mexico's greatest living writer Elena Poniatowska tells their story.

Hamlet and the Disappeared

Carlos Gamerro explores why so many young Argentinian writers, children of the disappeared, write in the shadow of Shakespeare