Press release of August 26, 2023
PEN Berlin goes ilb: Kurdish Literature, Nigerian Women Writers & Iran Gala
In a first-time cooperation with the international literature festival berlin (ilb), PEN Berlin invites you to the following events:
Loud and Quiet: German-Iranian Poets
When: September 7th at 9 pm
Where: Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 8, 10117 Berlin
Three slam poets perform their own works and the texts of imprisoned Iranian writers. Since last fall, Iranians have been protesting all over the country. More than 200 people were executed in the first months of this year alone, and tens of thousands were imprisoned. But they are speaking out through letters and poems from prison. Trough spoken word accompanied by daf and tar music, aspects of pain, longing, hope, and resistance are expressed.
With: Kimia Bani (daf), Aidin Halimi, Daniela Sepehri, Säye Skye, and Yalda Yazdani (tar). Moderation: Jayrôme C. Robinet
In German, Farsi, and English
Literature in the Shadow of Despotism
When: September 8th at 9 pm
Where: Collegium Hungaricum Berlin, Dorotheenstr. 12, 10117 Berlin
Dictators continue to sit firmly on their thrones. They have brutally crushed the protest and democracy movements of recent years, tightening the repressive screws. Assad is still there, the Mullahs are still there, Erdoğan got himself re-elected. Saddam is gone, but Islamists, militia leaders and corrupt politicians have taken his place. What went wrong? Is there any hope left? And what place does literature have in all of this? The panel approaches these questions from a transnational perspective.
With: Bachtyar Ali, Yavuz Ekinci, and Meral Şimşek
Moderation: Ronya Othmann
In German and Turkish
How Female Writers Shape Utopias in Nigeria
When: September 12th at 9 pm
Where: Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Schaperstr. 24, 10719 Berlin
Despite the difficult situation in Nigeria, there is a strong women’s movement, especially in the fields of art and literature. Young women stand on the shoulders of pioneers and write courageously about mechanisms of oppression and patriarchal structures, designing social, postcolonial utopias. Their voices are visionary, humorous, and powerful. The panel highlights the current situation and hopes for a free society in Nigeria.
With: Lesley Nneka Arimah, Sefi Atta, Jordan Ifueko, and Lola Shoneyin. Moderation: Stefanie Hirsbrunner
In German and English