Tagged: Free Speech
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Reframing Palestine: Why Me?
In the second of a series of essays exploring our current exhibition, 'Reframing Palestine', journalist Victoria Brittain examines how artist Raeda Saadeh uses her body and performance to represent life in her homeland, Palestine.
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The Week in Ideas, 17th May 2013
A translation sweat shop, seized phone records and a sexualised princess. Plus, Anne Frank isn't porn. We round up some key ideas in literature and free speech from the week gone by.
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The Week in Ideas, 10th May 2013
A Nazi-themed opera pulled from the stage; grammar used as a political weapon; a printable handgun is banned; libel is reformed. We round up some key ideas in the week gone by.
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The Week in Ideas, 26th April 2013
A dangerous hoax dents the US stock market, money talks and the arts listen, 400,000 books are given away on World Book Night and the press rebels against reform. We round up some key ideas from the week gone by in literature, literacy and free expression.
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Islington Word Festival 2013 Programme Announced
Last year's Islington Word Festival was a great success, and we're delighted it's returned for another year. Spanning all of next month, the festival is packed with events exploring reading, writing, and free expression all across our local London borough, including contributions from our Translators in Residence showcasing their work with local schools. There'll also be…
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The Week in Ideas, 19th April 2013
The rocky road to libel reform; secret filming in North Korea; a celebration of young novelists; books called to be banned in the USA. We unpick some key ideas in the world of free speech and literature from the week gone by.
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Speaking Freely: Sam Geall on China and the Environment
Global environmental website Chinadialogue launched their anthology of essays, "China and the Environment: The Green Revolution" at Free Word in April. We spoke to Sam Geall, the executive director of Chinadialogue, about the particular environmental issues facing China, and how a bilingual dialogue is helping develop some solutions.
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The Week in Ideas
Stephen Fry, Gillian Slovo and Tom Stoppard renew calls for libel reform; Google Glass threatens our privacy, and the world celebrates International Women's Day. We round-up of some of our favourite moments from the week gone by in literature, literacy and free expression.
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‘Metro’ Republished: Is Censorship Departing or Arriving in Egypt?
The 2008 graphic novel ‘Metro’, banned under the Mubarak regime, has been republished in Egypt. Heather McRobie asks what its disaffected protagonist Shihab might make of the tumultuous years since the revolution.
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Free Thinking from the Irrawaddy Literature Festival
At the beginning of February, the Irrawaddy Literature Festival drew readers and writers from around the world to the city of Yangon in Myanmar. In a country which has lived under the rule of a repressive military junta for more than half a century, it was a cultural and political landmark that allowed writers to gather, speak and exchange ideas freely for the first time in recent history. Cila Warnke visited the festival to see how a country crippled by censorship is starting to find its voice.
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Book Burning, Banning and Bowdlerisation
In the light of recent book-burnings in Mali, Sophie Mayer reflects on the implications literature has on free speech, in advance of her upcoming course on the subject at Free Word.
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Our Reading of Solidarity for Pussy Riot
On Wednesday 12 December the staff of the Free Word Centre gathered in the main hall to join a worldwide reading of solidarity for Pussy Riot, instigated by the International Festival of Literature in Berlin. Alongside cultural institutions around the world, the free expression organisations at Free Word came together to protest the trial and imprisonment of members of the Russian…
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Free Expression Organisations React to Leveson Report
Following Lord Justice Leveson's recommendations to reform the British press, free expression organisations at Free Word weigh in on the proposals, and the impact they might have on press freedom.
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Watch Fritt Ord’s Seminar on Protest in Tibet
China has blocked access to the website of our funders, Fritt Ord, a Norweigan organisation which promotes freedom of expression, ahead of a debate looking at recent acts of protest by self-immolation in Tibet. Bente Roalsvig, program director of Fritt Ord, the Freedom of Expression Foundation, told Voice of Tibet: “We have now witnessed 84 self-immolations in Tibet since February 2009.…
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Speaking Freely… with Martin Rowson, Satirist
Every week we speak to someone close to Free Word with a story to tell. Cartoonist, Satirist and friend of Free Word Martin Rowson draws sketches for a number of publications, including Index on Censorship, where he'll shortly be featured in their podcast series 'Free Speech Bites'. We caught up with him to talk about a satirist's take on free expression, what's it's like receiving death threats, and why the news is a bit like a dog.
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Channel 4 Turns 30 at Free Word
‘Can we say that? Can we say that publicly?’ Last night’s evening of drinks and discussion hinged on these questions. For the filmmakers, programmers, board members and legal department at Channel 4, these questions are also at the heart of their day-to-day operations. There could be no better place than the Free Word Centre, and no better…
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Freedom of Expression and Free Television - The Channel 4 Experience
Last night, Free Word was proud to host Channel 4's celebration of thirty years since it first broadcast to the British public. Channel 4's chief executive David Abraham delivered a speech exploring the channel's robust relationship with free expression over the last three decades. The speech was followed by a panel discussion exploring the legal and creative issues raised, with David Abraham, Adrienne Page QC, writer/director Peter Kosminsky and documentary filmmaker Brian Woods, chaired by Jo Glanville, director of English PEN. Notes from this discussion will be available soon.
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Tunisia’s Graphic Revolution
The graphic novel Sidi Bouzid Kids attempts to articulate the realities and concerns of the Tunisian youth who mobilised in last year’s revolution. But while the graphic novel is warmly received in Tunisia, the real town of Sidi Bouzid is tense with post-revolutionary skirmishes. Tunisia’s recent history is continually re-drawing itself in art – from graphic novels to rap – but the lines of free speech are also being re-drawn, and not always in artists’ favour.
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Recommended Reads: 5 Alternate Perspectives on Turkey
Canan Marasligil will join Free Word as one of our two translators-in-residence this winter, when she intends to dive deep into Turkish culture, literature and translation. As part of a series of posts leading up to our translators' residencies, Canan here introduces 5 bloggers to re-introduce you to the country.
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Burning Books: Sarajevo’s Library Twenty Years on and the Fragility of Cultural Heritage
Heather McRobie revisits the attack on the Sarajevo library twenty years ago, and considers what cultural and social impact the loss of millions of books has had.
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Past Event: What’s Wrong with Copyright?
Freedom of expression and copyright in the digital age.
Thu 25 Apr 2013
6:30pmFree Word Lecture Theatre
The digital revolution has created new opportunities for freedom of expression. The online world has opened up new spaces where people can seek, receive and impart information instantly and globally. Rapid technological change has fundamentally altered the way that people access and share creative works. Many people have argued that copyright needs to be reformed in order to keep…
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Past Event: Iran Online: Creating a safer place for dissent
Digital security and protecting free speech
Tue 9 Apr 2013
6:30pmFree Word Lecture Theatre
Where repressive regimes stifle free speech, the internet provides a vital space for communication and public debate. However, ever since the controversial presidential election in 2009 and in the light of the new election planned for June this year, there have been increasing attempts by the authorities to crack down on free speech online and to silence critical voices. Journalists,…
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Past Event: Banaz: A Love Story
Part of the Freedom on Film series.
Wed 6 Mar 2013
6:30pmFree Word Lecture Theatre
Free Word invites you to a screening of Banaz: A Love Story, in collaboration with ARTICLE 19 and Fuuse. The screening is part of our ‘Freedom on Film’ series, exploring freedom of expression through film. Banaz: A Love Story is a documentary that examines honour killings in the UK through the story of Banaz Mahmod,…
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Past Event: Kazakh Night: Celebrating Free Speech from a Country Without It
ARTICLE 19 brings together Kazakh and British activists, politicians and journalists to discuss the crackdown in Kazakhstan.
Mon 25 Feb, 6:30pm - 9:00pm (7:00pm start)
Free Word Lecture Theatre
On 16 December 2012, the 20th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s independence from the Soviet Union, a protest by oil workers in Zhanaozen ended in violence between police and protesters, in which at least 14 people were killed. The Kazakh authorities have used the context of this violence to silence its critics. In addition to allegations of torture and unfair trials against protesters,…
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Past Event: Free Speech and Literature
Night classes from English PEN and the Bishopsgate Institute
Weekly, Wed 20 Feb - Wed 27 Mar, 6:30pm - 8:30pm
The Sassoon Beer Board Room
Silence in the library! Censorship informs what we read and write – and how, as we’ll learn by reading exemplary writers from Allen Ginsberg to Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti, we can resist. From the home to the courts, censorship informs how and what we read and write. In this course, we'll consider the difference that space makes to…
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Past Event: An International Reading of Solidarity for Pussy Riot
Wed 12 Dec 2012
3:00pmFree Word Hall
Join us for an afternoon of poetry, protest, tea and cake this Wednesday as Free Word and the Free Word free expression Founder Members Article 19, Index on Censorship and English PEN join cultural institutions around the world in a reading of solidarity for Pussy Riot, instigated by the Internationales Literatur Festival of Berlin. We’ll be welcoming…
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Past Event: Digital Frontiers
The launch party for the latest issue of award-winning Index on Censorship magazine
Tue 4 Dec 2012
6:30pmFree Word Hall
Who controls our free speech online? What are the limits of free expression on social media? Index is launching Digitial Frontiers with an expert discussion and debate on internet freedom Richard Allan (Director of Policy, Facebook) and Gus Hosein (Chief Executive, Privacy International) will be in conversation with Kirsty Hughes (Chief Executive, Index…
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Past Event: Catechism: Poems for Pussy Riot Live
Wed 21 Nov - 6:30pm (doors) for a 7pm start
Free Word Lecture Theatre
On 21 February, members of Russian punk collective Pussy Riot staged a protest in Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, denouncing the Russian Orthodox Church’s support for President Vladimir Putin. Three members of the collective, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich, were arrested and held in custody until August when they were each sentenced to two…
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Past Event: Standing up to Blasphemy Laws
Sanal Edamaruku and Free Speech in India
Wed 21 Nov 2012
1:00pmFree Word Lecture Theatre
Prominent Indian rationalist Sanal Edamaruku, currently fighting blasphemy charges in India, is in London for just 2 days. Join New Humanist and Index on Censorship for a lively, rapid-fire lunchtime event looking at Sanal’s case and more widely at the blasphemy laws in India today. Joining Sanal will be a panel of experts, including High Court Judge …
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Past Event: Time to Stop Twittering On?
Is it possible to strike a balance between the right to free speech and the regulation of social media?
Wed 17 Oct 2012
6:00pmFree Word Lecture Theatre
ARTICLE 19 presents a lively and topical debate on the use of social media and its potential legal implications. With a welcome by Agnes Callamard (Executive Director, ARTICLE19), Adam Wagner (1COR and founder of the UK Human Rights Blog) chairs a panel including Tamsin Allen (Head of Media and Information Law, Bindmans), John Cooper QC (25 Bedford Row and represented Paul…
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Past Event: Student PEN Summit
Tues 10 July, 11:30 until 16:30
Free Word Hall
Do you value freedom of expression? Are you passionate about literature? Why not set up a Student PEN group at your university and become part of the oldest campaign for freedom of speech? English PEN is one of the UK’s leading literature and free speech charities. Through our Campaigns and Programmes, English PEN promotes the freedom to…
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Past Event: In a League of its Own: Is sport above human rights?
The launch of the latest edition of Index on Censorship magazine: a discussion followed by a screening of England vs Ukraine.
Tue 19 Jun 2012
6:30pmFree Word Lecture Theatre
To celebrate the launch of the latest issue of Index on Censorship, 'Sport on Trial', award-winning sports journalist Mihir Bose and Olympics historian Martin Polley will discuss sport and ethics with editor Jo Glanville and footballer Clarke Carlisle. Can sport be a force for good? Who owns the Olympic brand? Do boycotts work? Following the discussion will be a screening…