Season's Greetings from ICORN

In 2025, the ICORN network welcomed 19 writers, artists, and journalists, many arriving with their families, into ICORN residencies, including:

·      Pranto Palash, journalist, writer, and human rights activist from Bangladesh. ICORN resident in Gothenburg, Sweden.

·      Freshta Safi, animator, visual artist, and photojournalist from Afghanistan. ICORN resident in Drøbak, Norway.

·      Aymen Hameed, scriptwriter, rapper, songwriter, actor, and satirist from Iraq. ICORN resident in Region Jönköping, Sweden.

·      Javier L. Mora, poet, literary critic, and translator from Cuba. ICORN resident in Gdańsk, Poland.

·      Zulema Gutiérrez, poet, writer, independent journalist from Cuba. ICORN resident in Gdańsk, Poland.

·      Bahar Abbasi, Kurdish-Iranian writer, journalist, and human rights activist. ICORN resident in Bergen.

·      Tahmasbi Khorasani, poet, author, and researcher from Balkh, Afghanistan. ICORN resident in Stavanger.

·      Mohammed Brjass, artist and activist from Sudan. ICORN resident in Malmö.

·      Manahel Alsahoui, writer, poet, and journalist from Syria. ICORN resident in Prague.

The cities of Östersund, Stockholm, Gävle, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Sandefjord, Wrocław,and Berlin also welcomed new ICORN residents in 2025.

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In 2025, the ICORN network grew with five new members: Alta, Holmestrand, and Telemark County in Norway, the Stockholm and Norrbotten regions in Sweden.

This year also marked important anniversaries: Tromsø, Malmö, Linköping celebrated 20, 15, and 10 years as a Cities of Refuge, and Stavanger marked 30 years since welcoming its first persecuted writer in residence, and 20 years since cities across Europe and beyond gathered there to establish ICORN.

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CITIES FOR FREEDOM: CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF ICORN

In September 2025, mayors, city representatives, writers, artists, journalists, and human rights defenders from across the world convened in Stavanger to mark three milestones: 20 years since the conception of ICORN, 30 years since the first edition of the Kapittel International Festival of Literature and Stavanger’s 900th anniversary.

Paying tribute to the writers, artists, and journalists in the ICORN network, Deputy Mayor of Paris Jean-Luc Romero-Michel said:

‘Through your courage and your creativity, you remind us that words, images and ideas can change the world, even when they are threatened. Your resilience inspires us to continue the fight for freedom, for equality, and for human dignity.’

The gathering featured a variety of events including the Norwegian ICORN Network Meeting, the annual ICORN lecture, delivered by Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, and the performance ‘Songs of Existence’, co-organised by the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra.

The ‘Songs of Existence’ concert featured music by artists from the ICORN network, such as Ghawgha, Mohammed El-Susi, and Ramy Essam, as well as Sámi yoiker Marja Mortensson and Palestinian musician Abu Joury. The music was accompanied by poetry readings from writers including Haile Bizen, Fatemeh Ekhtesari, Selma M. Yonus, and Mansur Rajih.

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BRIDGES - CITY OF ASYLUM PITTSBURGH CREATIVE SUMMIT

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2025 also marked the first major ICORN event outside Europe- the BRIDGES - City of Asylum Pittsburgh Creative Summit which took place over four days in May in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

Co-organised and hosted by City of Asylum Pittsburgh and ICORN, the event gathered more than 80 writers, artists, journalists, and city representatives for more than 20 sessions exploring freedom of expression, exile, and the power of art, literature, and music.

Highlights included sessions and performances by writers and artists within and beyond the ICORN network, including Mohamedou Ould Slahi, Yasmine El-Baramawy, Nazeeha Saeed, George Packer, Colum McCann, and Aleksandar Hemon. The Summit also included cultural and community events, such as the Jazz Poetry Festival and the Big Sampsonia Way Cookout.

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We wish everyone a peaceful and prosperous new year!