August 7, 2008 | The New School's Tishman Auditorium | NYC

With Edward Albee, Russell Banks, Philip Gourevitch, Jessica Hagedorn, Hari Kunzru, Rick Moody, Martha Southgate, Francine Prose and other special guests

Co-sponsored by The New School Graduate Writing Program
 

On August 7, the eve of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, PEN American Center honored the more than 40 writers and journalists currently being held in Chinese prisons for exercising their right to freedom of expression. Acclaimed American writers came together on stage at this special event to break the silence—or what has been called the Great Firewall—that threatened the work and lives of Chinese writers by reading new and previously untranslated statements and writings by several of the jailed writers and other dissidents and Members of the Independent Chinese PEN Center.
 

VIDEO
• Hari Kunzru reads "The Crime and Punishment of Yang Yunbiao, Evictee" by Li Jianqiang
• Edward Albee reads "Nightmare" by Shen Youlian
• Jessica Hagedorn reads "A Killing Trip" by Tseriing Woeser
• Francine Prose reads "Days of Illegal Detention" by Li Jianhong
• Martha Southgate reads from "The Fear in Lhasa, as Felt in Beijing" by Tsering Woeser
• Rick Moody reads a letter from Xinna

>> Visit the event page for photos, audio recordings, and excerpts

>> Find more information on PEN's campaign for free expression in China