PEN Ukraine

KyivUkraine
Written By Simon Nielsen

Member organization

The Ukrainian centre of PEN International (PEN Ukraine) was established in 1989 and now unites 140 Ukrainian authors and intellectuals (among them writers, human rights defenders, translators, journalists, humanities scholars, publishers, and cultural managers).

 

Location: Kyiv, Ukraine

Website

First of all, PEN Ukraine is focused on protection of freedom of speech and authors’ rights, promotion of literature development and international cultural cooperation. PEN Ukraine organizes human rights campaigns, initiates writing of open letters and statements pertaining to authors’ rights and freedoms violations. Besides, PEN Ukraine has established its own awards: Yuri Shevelov Prize for the best book of essayism, Vasyl Stus Prize for a notable contribution to Ukrainian culture and endurance of public stance, and George Gongadze Prize for Ukrainian journalists who are committed to the principles and values of independent journalism. Moreover, PEN has launched Discussion PEN Club, literary residencies and festivals, and organizes an annual regional conference of Central and Eastern European PEN centres. More information about our initiatives on our website: https://pen.org.ua/

Meet PEN Ukraine here:

Featured
‘Justice must prevail over brutal force’: Oleksandra Matviichuk in Dialogue with Anne Applebaum
‘Justice must prevail over brutal force’: Oleksandra Matviichuk in Dialogue with Anne Applebaum

In order to comprehend the events of recent months, PEN Ukraine has launched a series of conversations entitled #DialoguesOnWar. On March 24, 2023, Oleksandra Matviichuk, Head of the Center for Civil Liberties, a Ukrainian NGO awarded the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize, held a conversation with Anne Applebaum, an American historian, writer, and journalist.

‘I was astonished by the fierceness of people’s desire to stay’: Dave Eggers In Dialogue With Yuliya Musakovska
‘I was astonished by the fierceness of people’s desire to stay’: Dave Eggers In Dialogue With Yuliya Musakovska

In order to comprehend the events of recent days, PEN Ukraine has launched a series of conversations entitled #DialoguesOnWar. On February 16, 2023, Ukrainian poet Yuliya Musakovska held a conversation with the American writer and publisher Dave Eggers. This is a transcription of key moments from their conversation.

‘The fight for justice is what drives us now’: Oksana Lutsyshyna In Dialogue With Arundhati Roy
‘The fight for justice is what drives us now’: Oksana Lutsyshyna In Dialogue With Arundhati Roy

In order to comprehend the events of recent days, PEN Ukraine has launched a series of conversations entitled #DialoguesOnWar. On February 10, 2023, Ukrainian poet and writer Oksana Lutsyshyna held a conversation with the Indian writer Arundhati Roy. This is a transcription of key moments from their conversation.

Featured
The Two Most Precious Words
The Two Most Precious Words

“There’s no sense in fooling people on the battlefield. Other rules apply there: every single human being is empty-handed once they are dead, whilst a fuck-up can easily get you killed, so you absolutely have to trust the one who’s covering you in combat.” To Dmytro Krapyvenko, journalist and member og Ukraine’s armed forces, solidarity is the difference between life and death. This guest editorial is written within the PEN Ukraine “Dialogues on War” project, supported by the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine.

Winning The War
Winning The War

“No matter how much we hate war, no matter what calamity or visitations it brings, at some point it always becomes our test of endurance. In view of this, critical comments about independence, which Ukraine, supposedly, had gained bloodlessly, will always sound cynical – because those who think so never take neither prior experience of fighting for it, nor the necessity of defending it into account.” Taras Lyuty, acclaimed Ukrainian philosopher and writer, dissects the nature of war. This guest editorial is written within the PEN Ukraine “Dialogues on War” project, supported by the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine.

Simon Nielsen
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