ICORN international cities of refuge network

ICORN at Kapittel 10

At this year's Kapittel - Stavanger International Festival of Literature and Freedom of Expression - ICORN and Shahrazad - stories for life are happy to present a wide range of events and voices that will contribute in making Kapittel a truly international festival. The theme of Kapittel 10 is Memory - how does memory work in literature, and how is literature a contributing force for our memory? Among the distinguished guests hosted by ICORN are Moris Farhi, writer, Vice President of International PEN, and former Chair of the WiPC, who will deliver the ICORN lecture - The Courage to Forget.

Sampsonia Way opens new article series by interviewing Helge Lunde

Sampsonia Way , an online magazine run by ICORN friend City of Asylum/Pittsburgh, are starting a series of interviews this fall, profiling writers who live in exile. To kick off this series, and to present the work ICORN does to protect writers, Elizabeth Hoover has interviewed Executive Director Helge Lunde. Sampsonia Way, the web magazine, is intended to provide the same shelter for writers and writing as Sampsonia Way, a Pittsburgh street lined with writer residences. Each defends free speech by protecting the people who actually do the writing and speaking. The homes provide shelter for writers; the magazine provides shelter for their work. We are happy to present an excerpt of the first interview in the series here at icorn.org, and look forward to following future articles.

ICORN participates in WALTIC

In September, several ICORN Guest Writers, the ICORN Administration Center and Shahrazad - stories for life will participate in and meet with writers and translators from around the world at the second Writers' and Literary Translators' International Congress (WALTIC ) in Istanbul. Iranian Guest Writers Asieh Amini, Pegah Ahmadi (picture) and Parvin Ardalan will participate in a Shahrazad event discussing the current situation for writers and women's rights in Iran, and ICORN will be presented in a seminar on freedom of expression. In addition to this, ICORN Guest Writer Anisur Rahman has been invited to present a paper on the impact of NGOs on literacy and literature.

Featured Writer: Mansur Rajih

Poet Mansur Rajih was the first ICORN Guest Writer in Stavanger City of Refuge, where he arrived in 1998 after spending 15 years in prison in Yemen. This year, the Writers in Prison Committee (WiPC) of International PEN, an important ICORN ally, celebrates 50 years of defending freedom of expression around the world with a year-long campaign - Because Writers Speak their Minds. As part of this campaign, the Committee looks back on 50 emblematic cases illustrating where and how and why they have worked. One case on this list is the case of Mansur Rajih, this summer's featured writer, and we are happy to present an interview and a collection of his poetry here at icorn.org.

Eurozine and ICORN join forces

We are glad to announce that ICORN has formally associated with the renowned European net portal Eurozine . Eurozine is a network of European cultural journals, linking up more than 75 partner journals and just as many associated magazines and institutions from nearly all the European countries. Eurozine is also an internet magazine which publishes outstanding articles from its partner journals, with additional translations into one of the major European languages.

Creative Resistance - An Intersecting Networks Approach

From July 10-15 ICORN participated at a gathering of leaders from the human rigts sector, art spaces, and artists' and culture workers' mobility networks from around the world meeting in Canada . 'This was a unique opportunity to get to know and work with other networks who's work is related to what we do.' says ICORN's Programme Director Elisabeth Dyvik. The meeting was called by freeDimensional .

Committee to Protect Journalists releases Survey on Journalists in Exile

At least 85 journalists fled their homes in the past year because of attacks, threats and possible imprisonment, with especially high exile rates in Iran, Somalia and Ethiopia, says the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) in its annual survey. Since 2001, more than 500 journalists have fled their homes, and 454 remain in exile today. But life in exile is precarious and only the beginning of a new set of struggles.

ICORN Guest Writer Philo Ikonya published in Germany

Judging by the catalogs from travel agents, Kenya is a safe destination that offers great holiday adventures. Philo Ikonya's latest collection of poetry, Aus dem Gefängnis - Liebesgesänge (Out of prison - Lovesongs) points out that this image is not the whole truth.

ICORN consolidates and looks forward at successful Frankfurt assembly

More than 90 delegates, writers, observers and other guests from 30 countries convened 1-3 June for ICORN's first general assembly as an independent, international membership organisation.

Three days of fruitful encounters, intense discussions and conscious deliberations brought the new organisation many important steps further, says ICORN's executive director Helge Lunde.

The Aesthetica Creative Works Competition open for submissions

The art and culture magazine Aesthetica is inviting all artists, writers and poets to submit their work for the Aesthetica Creative Works Competition 2010. Now in its third year, the Creative Works Competition is dedicated to celebrating and championing creative talent across three desciplines: "Artwork and Photography", "Poetry" and "Fiction". Three winners, one from each category, will receive GBP 500 prize money and the winner and finalists will will be published in the Creative Works Annual. Other prizes will also be available. The closing date on this competition is August 31.