Day of the Imprisoned Writer
Nov 25 2024
November 15th is the Day of the Imprisoned Writer! The Day of the Imprisoned Writer is an annual international day for recognizing and supporting writers who resist oppression and stand up for the basic human right to freedom of expression and against attacks made on their right to impart information. The day was started in 1981 by PEN International’s Writers in Prison Committee. Each year on November 15th, PEN International highlights writers who have been imprisoned and are facing persecution in an urgent action to release and protect them. The general public is encouraged to take action often in the form of donations, or letters of solidarity and appeal on behalf of the selected writers.The day also serves to commemorate the writers who have been killed in circumstances related to their professions since the previous year’s Day of the Imprisoned Writer.This year, PEN America spotlighted five writers who are currently imprisoned:1. Pham Doan Trang: "a Vietnamese writer, publisher, journalist, and pro-democracy activist currently imprisoned in Vietnam due to her writings in support of human rights." 2. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi: "a prominent writer and human rights defender, has been repeatedly targeted and arrested since 2009 by the Iranian authorities."3. Vladyslav Yesypenko: a writer in Russian-occupied Crimea whose "journalistic work profiles ordinary social issues, from price changes to property confiscation, that are of immediate concern to residents of Crimea."4. Xu Zhiyong: a writer in China who has "written prolifically online on issues including access to fair education, governmental mistreatment and repatriation of migrant workers, corruption, and wasteful government spending."5. Ilham Tohti: a writer in China who "has dedicated his life to promoting peaceful dialogue between China’s Uyghur minority and the Han Chinese population."You can visit PEN International’s website to see their annual campaign and the cases and writers they are highlighting each year. Their campaign page has solidarity letters in support of the writers that are available to be read by everyone. This year, PEN America is spotlighting Pham Doan Trang, an imprisoned Vietnamese writer and winner of the 2024 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award. She is currently imprisoned due to her writing in support of human rights in Vietnam, which is ranked as the fourth leading country for the number of imprisoned writers. There are currently 18 writers in prison in Vietnam.Which writers did you recognize for Day of the Imprisoned Writer?
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