ICORN international cities of refuge network

Dangerous Words at Nobel Peace Center, Oslo

Thursday 24 April, 7-9 pm, the ICORN writers Kamran Mir Hazar from Afghanistan, Mansur Rajih from Yemen and Soudabeh Alishahi from Iran will meet at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, Norway. Hear their stories and get to know their literature.

Iralu's Third Book Published in Her City of Refuge

Taken from the jacket of her new novel A Terrible Matriarchy:

I was the youngest in a family of five children. I sometimes felt I was an afterthought, and maybe Father and Mother didn't quite know what to do with me. Also, because I was a girl after four boys they never seemed to be sure whether to buy me girls' clothing or let me wear leftover boys' clothing. Young Dielieno is five years old when she is sent off to live with her disciplinarian Grandmother who wants her to grow up to be a good Naga wife and mother. According to Grandmother, girls didn't need an education, they didn't need love and affection or time to play or even a good piece of meat with their gravy! Naturally, Dielieno hates her with a vengeance.

This is the evocative tale of a young girl growing up in a traditional Angami society in India's northeast, which is in the midst of tremendous change. Easterine Iralu sensitively writes about a place and a people that she knows and is a part of. She brings to the storytelling a lyrical beauty which can, on occasion, chill the reader with its realistic portrayals of the spirits that inhabit the quiet hills and valleys of Nagaland. Easterine Iralu has written and published a first novel, A Naga village remembered, a collection of short stories and poems, The Windhover Collection, and other anthologies of poetry. She lives and works in Norway where she has published two books.

ICORN meets with Casa Refugio

Representatives of ICORN and Casa Refugio met in Mexico City to discuss a more extensive cooperation between the two organizations. The literary evening featuring both ICORN and Casa Refugio guest writers illustrated the benefits of cooperating for the promotion of the ideals each organization stands for.

Day for Imprisoned Writers

Every year, for the past 85 years, Català PEN marks the15th of November: the Day for Imprisoned Writers. This year the occasion was brought to the public's attention under the umbrella title: Writing Without Fear: Freedom of Expression.

This year Catalá PEN also hosted a literary event, Writers in Danger which featured writers from Iran, Nagaland, Algeria, Syria, Iraq and Uganda. The opening speech was given by John Ralston Saul, and the keynote address, "The Image and the Word" was by Nobel Laureate Nadine Gordimer.

Following the readings and lectures, a dinner was held at the National Library of Catalonia.

more photos

Shahradaz Begins. . .

Shahradaz was kicked-off on November 15th with readings by recent and current ICORN Guest Writers. The literary program was in conjunction with Català PEN's marking of the Day of Imprisoned Writers.

On November 16th representatives for the cities administrating the Shahradaz project met in Barcelona to discuss the EU grant and related budget, and an outline for each city's responsibilities was drafted. It was decided that a logo and design for the website will be presented to the cities in early December with an agreed upon design for Shahrazad ready by the new year. The Administration Office in Stavanger will be responsible for the website's maintenance.

2008 will be a busy year for ICORN and Shahrazad. Programs like the 2008 City of Culture's Arts of Hospitality Writer in the Schools program will begin in January.

Writing Without Fear: Freedom of Expression

Shahrazad is presented to Europe on the November 15th.

November 15th is the International Imprisoned Writers' Day. Catalan PEN in Barcelona has chosen to mark that day with a seminar open to the public: Writing Without Fear: Freedom of Expression.

Four ICORN Guest Writers will take part in the day of readings and discussions. They will also launch the ICORN project Shahrazad.

The introductory speech will be made by John Ralston Saul, the author of The Death of a General and the more recent The Collapse of Globalism and the Reinvention of the World.

The keynote address will be given by Nobel Laureate Nadine Gordimer.

A Beginning for Shahrazad

November 15th is the International Imprisoned Writers' Day. We though it appropriate to choose this day to officially launch the Shahrazad project.

The City of Barcelona is one of six cities of refuge to initiate the Shahrazad project (for an abstract see this link ). The program for the day, arranged by Catalan PEN is called Writing Without Fear: Freedom of Expression.

EU Contract for Shahrazad Signed

The ICORN Administration Centre has received the signed grant contract from the European Union for the joint-cities project Shahrazad. The launch of the project will take place in Barcelona on the International Imprisoned Writers' Day, November 15th under the organization of Catalan PEN.

Four of ICORN's Guest Writers will participate in the Writing Without Fear: Freedom of Expression discussion.

ICORN at the Frankfurt Book Fair

. . . . . . . Literary Encounters at the Frankfurt Book Fair

(ICORN city of refuge Molde's guest writer Nada Yousif, center)

AUTUMN 07 Featured Writer: Irakli Kakabadze

Song lyrics and performance poems by Irakli Kakabadze, the Autumn 07 Featured Writer. Irakli Kakabdze is a prose writer, performance poet and lyricist. He is also a passionate activist.