Ciutats en Revolta: The 2026 ICORN General Assembly in Barcelona

The 2026 ICORN General Assembly is hosted in cooperation with PEN Català and supported by local, regional, and national partners, including the City of Barcelona, the Government of Catalonia, the Ministry of Culture, the Institution of Catalan Letters, Catalonia International, and the Ramon Llull Institute. This year’s collaborating entities include the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB), the main venue of the Assembly, as well as Biblioteques de Barcelona, Diputació de Barcelona, and Fabra i Coats: Fàbrica de Creació.

The programme offers space for exchange, reflection, learning, and solidarity, bringing together creativity and critical dialogue on the most pressing issues facing free expression.

A warm welcome to Barcelona

On Monday 20 April, the Assembly officially opens with a welcome reception hosted by Mayor Jaume Collboni at Barcelona City Hall. The reception features speeches by Algerian writer Salem Zenia, Barcelona’s first ICORN resident (2007–2009), and Afghan journalist Zainab Saberi, the city’s current ICORN resident, who arrived in late 2025.

The programme includes a poetry reading by Cuban poet Javier L. Mora, accompanied by the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra- a symbolic link between Stavanger, where ICORN was founded, and Barcelona, one of its founding cities and the 2026 host.

The evening continues with a public keynote conversation between journalist and writer Ece Temelkuran and Laura Huerga, President of PEN Català. Titled “Unhomed: Displacement, Refuge and New Belongings in a Fractured World”, the conversation will explore concepts of exile, refuge, and home, proposing renewed ways of imagining global community. Hosted at CCCB, the event will be open to the public.

Ciutats en Revolta: Our common work for free expression

On Tuesday 21 April, the Assembly opens with the plenary, “Ciutats en Revolta: Our Common Work for Free Expression”. Against the backdrop of democratic backsliding, global conflict, and increasing displacement, the session highlights the essential role of cities, civil society, cultural actors and human rights defenders in defending freedom of expression.

The session includes a focus on Sudan and Bangladesh by Elzahraa Jadallah and Pranto Palash. Alongside a conversation with Zainab Saberi and PEN Català Director Gemma Rodríguez, performances by rapper Mohammed El-Susi and musician Tore Brun (Abazar Hamid).

A panel on The Role of Cities in Defending Democracy, Freedom of Expression and International Solidarity explores how ICORN can respond to current challenges and strengthen international unity and action. The panel follows a keynote by Barcelona’s Deputy Mayor for Human Rights, Maria Eugènia Gay, and includes contributions from Sabine Gimbrère, Director of the International Office of the City of Amsterdam, Elzbieta Foltyniak, Director of the House of Literature in Gdańsk, Marianne Borgen, former Mayor of Oslo, and PEN International President Burhan Sönmez.

Freedom of expression in practice

Alongside the formal General Assembly proceedings, the programme offers a range of workshops, discussions, and cultural sessions.

A special focus on Myanmar features a screening of “Being Ohnmar” (2025) by Sai Nyan Linn Sett and a traditional Burmese dance performance by Kay Zin, and a discussion on the realities of continuing to work towards democracy in Myanmar in exile.

The programme highlight Catalan literary heritage through readings and exhibitions exploring themes of exile and identity, reflecting Barcelona and Catalonia’s longstanding role as places of cultural resistance and human rights.

On Wednesday 22 April, a dedicated session examines new legal pathways for human rights defenders, addressing increasing barriers to mobility and protection. It features perspectives from Iranian writer Farhad Babaei and contributions from across the ICORN network. Dr. Annalisa Meloni and Evgeny Shtorn from Araminta present a proposal for a new EU Directive on conditions for entry and residence for human rights defenders, followed by a panel discussion moderated by Javier Roura Blanco. Panellists include Iraqi journalist Azhar Al-Rubaie and Marie Le Sourd (On the Move), among others.

Celebrating 20 Years of ICORN

A highlight of the 2026 General Assembly will be the marking of ICORN’s 20th anniversary on the evening of Tuesday 21 April at Fabra i Coates. The anniversary coincides with 20 years of the ICORN programme in Barcelona, one of the network’s founding cities.

Speeches, literary readings, and artistic performances reflect on ICORN’s past, present, and future, with performances by musicians Ghawgha and Kay Zin, accompanied by the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, as well as a hip-hop performance by Mohammed El-Susi, and readings by Hussein Al-Dahir, Zulema Gutiérrez, and Tahmasbi Khorosani. An art performance by Kenyan performance artist Obel and video works by Iraqi satirist, writer, and rapper Aymen Hameed, moderated by actor and cultural producer Abduljabbar Alsuhili.

Looking Ahead

The final day of the Assembly focuses on reflection, collaboration, the network’s future. The closing plenary, “Sharing is Caring”, brings together perspectives from across the network and key takeaways from the three-day gathering. Initiatives such as the collaboration between ICORN Cities of Refuge which are also UNESCO Cities of Literature, and networks such as ProTEJER present their projects.

The Assembly concludes with a farewell reception hosted by the President of the Government of Catalonia, Salvador Illa.

Following the conference, participants will have the opportunity to a rich literary and cultural programme during Saint Jordi, Barcelona’s day of books and roses.