April 30–May 6, 2012

100 Writers from 25 Countries

Writers from around the world convene in New York City to celebrate the power of the written word in action. Engage with literature in bold and unexpected ways and discover how words can be amplified through music, theater, puppetry, film, and much more. Marking PEN American Center’s 90th anniversary, this year’s festival features performances, discussions, one-on-one conversations, and readings. The Standard, New York and The Standard, East Village along with the High Line are the Festival hubs, with venues crisscrossing the city, from Harlem to Wall Street, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art and MoMA.

The Hunger Angel by Herta Müller All that I have I carry on me. Or: All that is mine I carry with me. [More]

Suddenly, a Knock on the Door by Etgar Keret It’s hard to think up a story with the barrel of a loaded pistol pointed at your head. [More]

Daniel Stein, Interpreter by Ludmila Ulitskaya Even in summer at the beach with the sun blazing down there is a coldness in my spine. [More]

My Struggle: Book One by Karl Ove Knausgård For the heart, life is simple: it beats for as long as it can. Then it stops. [More]

The Children by Noëlle Revaz We live in the blue house. It’s not our house, but we’re spending our childhood here. [More]

[more excerpts from Festival participants]

Miss any events? Check out the World Voices Festival through videos, photos, and blogs.  

 FESTIVAL VIDEOS AND PHOTOS 

Arthur Miller Freedom to Write Lecture: Salman Rushdie

With Salman Rushdie and Gary Shteyngart [video]

Dialogue Series: Jennifer Egan on How to Create Your Own Rules

With Jennifer Egan and Jacob Weisberg [video]

Marjane Satrapi in Conversation

With Marjane Satrapi and Françoise Mouly [video]

TimesTalks

With Martin Amis, Margaret Atwood, and E.L. Doctorow [video]

Understanding Egypt

With Mona Eltahawy, Elias Khoury, and Rula Jebreal [watch]

Real-time coverage of the World Voices Festival.

Visit PENLive! for photos, videos, and articles. 

A Clockwork Orange atop The Standard
By Jane Ciabattari

Revolutionary Plays
By Carol Bergman

Exit Strategies: Overlapping Music and Literature
By Antonio Romani

>> Festival Blogroll