#Türkiye: Kurdish writer and PEN member Suzan Samancı faces bogus terror charges over posts supporting Kurdish rights, and a travel ban stopping her returning home to Switzerland. We urge the authorities to lift the ban and drop the charges. Read more ⬇️ www.pen-international.org/news/trkiye-...

Türkiye: Lift travel ban imposed on PEN member Suzan Samancı — PEN International | Promoting Literature & Defending Freedom of Expression Worldwide

‘We stand by PEN member Suzan Samancı, who has suffered years of harassment in Türkiye, and is now being prevented from returning to Switzerland, where she has lived for 18 years, on ludicrous g...

pen-international.org

🕊️ Acclaimed writer, editor and publisher Hilary McPhee AO, has died aged 85. In 2016, The Hilary McPhee Award for an essay published in Meanjin was established by the University of Melbourne. 📸 Hilary McPhee, by Jacqueline Mitelman, National Portrait Gallery.

@billymills.bsky.social - Howl and Other Poems Reissue - allenginsberg.org/2026/10/t-o-...

Six years ago today, Vietnamese writer and pro-democracy activist Pham Doan Trang was arrested. She's serving 9 years for her writing on democracy & human rights. Vietnam must release Trang and all writers jailed for their words. Read our letter to Rubio: www.pen-international.org/news/vietnam...

www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s... @irishpen.bsky.social @indexoncensorship.org @martinadevlinbooks.bsky.social

Malta warned of corruption crisis after ‘utter disbelief’ over Daphne Caruana Galizia verdict

Labour peer tells Council of Europe inquiry failure to implement legal protections still putting journalists at risk

theguardian.com

We stand in solidarity with Suzan Samanci and urge the Turkish authorities to allow her travel home to Switzerland. Story below.

PEN International@peninternational.bsky.social · last wk.

#Türkiye: Kurdish writer and PEN member Suzan Samancı faces bogus terror charges over posts supporting Kurdish rights, and a travel ban stopping her returning home to Switzerland. We urge the authorities to lift the ban and drop the charges. Read more ⬇️ www.pen-international.org/news/trkiye-...

Together with @irishpen.bsky.social & the Estate of Seamus Heaney, we’re delighted to announce the PEN Heaney Prize 2026 shortlist. The winner will be announced on 1 December at a ceremony held at the Howard Assembly Room, Leeds. Find out more & book now ⤵️ www.englishpen.org/posts/news/p...

PEN Heaney Prize 2026 shortlist - English PEN

English PEN announces the six shortlisted titles for the PEN Heaney Prize 2026.

englishpen.org

‘Tishani Doshi’s dextrous, vibrant and vital poems delight and shimmer.' Huge congratulations to Tishani Doshi, whose fifth poetry collection Egrets, While War is shortlisted for the PEN Heaney Prize 2026. @englishpen.bsky.social @irishpen.bsky.social. www.bloodaxebooks.com/news?article...

We're delighted to announce the shortlisted titles for the 2026 PEN Heaney Prize with partners @englishpen.bsky.social & @seamusheaneyestate.bsky.social The winner will be announced, 1st December at the Howard Assembly Rooms, Leeds in partnership with @nationalpoetrycentre. Tkts www.englishpen.org

🥁Poetry Ireland Review Issue 149, edited by Colm Tóibín, is now available for pre-order! 🥁 🔗Subscribers will receive Poetry Ireland Review 149 later this month, or pre-order your copy: www.poetryireland.ie/publications...

My episode of Poetry Please was on BBC radio 4 last night, available now. I chose poems by @romalynante3.bsky.social, Niall Campbell, Moniza Alvi, Warsan Shire, more, & read mine from Beast, ‘The Lammergeier Daughter’ @bloodaxebooks.bsky.social Presenter Roger McGough. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

BBC Radio 4 - Poetry Please, Pascale Petit

Roger McGough talks to French British poet Pascale Petit.

bbc.co.uk

We're pleased to present Abridged activities for 2026/2027. Thanks to the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the @artscouncilireland.bsky.social for their support. We have four magazines, fifteen online pamphlets and two postcard projects. We hear Empire Down... @su-anna.bsky.social

#OnThisDay, 29 August 1890, the National Library of Ireland first opened its doors. 📖 And we’ve been welcoming readers, researchers and curious minds ever since! 🏛️ Discover the story of the Library: https://www.nli.ie/about-us/our-history

www.eventbrite.com/e/culture-ni...

Culture Night - Avonbeg River Poetry and Ecology Walk

Join East Wicklow Rivers Trust ecologist Faith Wilson and poet Jane Clarke for a relaxed walk along the Avonbeg river for Culture Night.

eventbrite.com

Very excited to tell you about this new show in the Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray on 2 October 2026. An invitation to reflect through music & poetry on care, loss & renewal and to reconnect with the earth we love. Details & Booking below. www.mermaidartscentre.ie/whats-on/eve...

Coracle - Mermaid Arts Centre

mermaidartscentre.ie

Really looking forward to this! It would be lovely to see you there!❤️📖🎶🎤 @thegallerypress.bsky.social

Billy Fenton@billyfenton.bsky.social · last mo.

Next SpeakEasy Open Mic with special guest @martinadalton.bsky.social is on Sept 11 at 8pm. Martina is a poet from Tramore, and her debut collection Midnight at the Salt Marsh was recently published by The Gallery Press. Music by Kieran Joy & and Open Mic.

I had the pleasure of reading and blurbing this fabulous short story collection by Órfhlaith Foyle, published by @doirepress.bsky.social It's wonderfully witchy and weird, the *lure* that pulls you in is so strong & off ye fly into magic worlds and strange Celtic voices. Bummed to be missing launch.

#Ukraine: 12 million books, one-third of Ukraine's annual book production, destroyed in just two months. We join PEN Ukraine in condemning mounting Russian attacks on Ukraine's cultural heritage. Read more: www.pen-international.org/news/ukraine...

Ukraine: Destruction of books by Russian strikes condemned — PEN International | Promoting Literature & Defending Freedom of Expression Worldwide

‘ The Russian Federation’s deliberate targeting of Ukrainian libraries and publishing facilities amounts to an assault on Ukraine’s very identity and must stop immediately. Once again, we urge the i...

pen-international.org

PEN Malta is outraged by the acquittal of Yorgen Fenech on charges of commissioning the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. An acquittal on this charge does not settle who ordered her killing, it leaves that question open. 🧵 newsbook.com.mt/en/fenech-ac...

Fenech acquittal is a ‘failure of the state’, PEN Malta says

PEN Malta has said that while the jury's verdict in the Yorgen Fenech trial must be respected, the acquittal represents a 'scandal' and a failure of the state that leaves the question of who ordered D...

newsbook.com.mt

@irishpages.bsky.social @irishinstitute.bsky.social @lancasteruni.bsky.social @grahammort.bsky.social @backlisted.bsky.social @motherjones.com @orwellprize.bsky.social @irishnews.com @wcorklitfest.bsky.social @nessao.bsky.social @irishpen.bsky.social @neilhegarty.bsky.social

Martin Tyrrell@outsidewriters.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Thanks to all at the Orwell Society for publishing this following my recent talk on Mairin Mitchell. @arlenhouse.bsky.social @efacis.bsky.social @spaincivilwartours.bsky.social @darcy1968.bsky.social @dubreviewofbooks.bsky.social @aupress.ca orwellsociety.com/irish-writer...

Looking forward to working with colleagues from @irishpen.bsky.social and @PenUkraine and emerging Ukrainian writers in Ireland

@irishinstitute.bsky.social @lancasteruni.bsky.social @grahammort.bsky.social @backlisted.bsky.social @motherjones.com @orwellprize.bsky.social @irishpages.bsky.social @wcorklitfest.bsky.social @nessao.bsky.social @irishpen.bsky.social @neilhegarty.bsky.social

Martin Tyrrell@outsidewriters.bsky.social · 3mo ago

The reissue of Mairin Mitchell’s Storm Over Spain, the first English language edition since 1937, is available for preorder from: booksupstairs.ie/product/stor... This was the book George Orwell considered one of the best accounts of the war. A great and overlooked Irish memoir.

One of my favourite events at this year’s John Hewitt International Summer School @irishpen.bsky.social teatalkmagazine.co.uk/2026/07/31/8...

84 postcards penned by Armagh audience to imprisoned Georgian journalist in show of international solidarity - TeaTalkMagazine

Audience members at Irish PEN’s sold-out Freedom to Write event write postcards to Mzia Amaglobeli, who has been imprisoned in Georgia since January 2025   Members of the audience at the John Hewitt I...

teatalkmagazine.co.uk

irishpen.com/2026/08/04/i... @irishpen.bsky.social @peninternational.bsky.social @tkieran.bsky.social @shaunagilligan.bsky.social @martinadevlinbooks.bsky.social @caoilfhionn.bsky.social

In Brief: John Hewitt International Summer School Freedom to Write event with Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC (Armagh, July 2026) - Irish PEN/PEN na hÉireann

The Irish PEN/PEn na hÉireann Freedom to Write event has become a popular fixture at the John Hewitt International Summer School (Armagh). This year was no exception. The 120-seat theatre was booked o...

irishpen.com

libranwriter.wordpress.com/2026/08/17/u... @irishpen.bsky.social @peninternational.bsky.social

Ukrainian Cultural Centre in Ireland Celebrates Ukrainian Independence Day

As part of a series of events to celebrate Ukrainian Independence Day (officially 24th August) the UCCI held a book launch (Words and Bullets by Natalya Kornienko, UCCI’s co-director) and doc…

libranwriter.wordpress.com

@nessao.bsky.social @thelonelycrowd.bsky.social @jonsavage.bsky.social @irishpen.bsky.social @irishpages.bsky.social @marsdenmouse.bsky.social @glosbio.bsky.social @drnjwaddell.bsky.social @strandedinni.bsky.social @ccirlandais.bsky.social @booksandthearts.bsky.social @prospectmagazine.co.uk

Martin Tyrrell@outsidewriters.bsky.social · last mo.

Thanks to @dubreviewofbooks.bsky.social for featuring my look back at JD Salinger's Catcher in the Rye drb.ie/article/rere... @writingabtwriting.bsky.social @westengland.bsky.social @darcy1968.bsky.social @parrconnal.bsky.social @aupress.ca @poetrysiobhan.bsky.social @glasogliath.bsky.social

www.pen-international.org/news/malta-n... @irishpen.bsky.social @irishwriterscentre.bsky.social @martinadevlinbooks.bsky.social @tkieran.bsky.social @nessao.bsky.social @neilhegarty.bsky.social

Malta: No justice for the killing of Daphne Caruana Galizia following shock acquittal — PEN International | Promoting Literature & Defending Freedom of Expression Worldwide

‘ The PEN Community expresses full solidarity with Daphne Caruana Galizia’s family in their never-ending fight for justice. Those who killed Daphne sought to silence her, yet her powerful legacy lives...

pen-international.org

We support the following statement by PEN International on the acquittal of one of the suspects who had been charged with masterminding the killing of Daphne Caruana Galizia. www.pen-international.org/news/malta-n...

Malta: No justice for the killing of Daphne Caruana Galizia following shock acquittal — PEN International | Promoting Literature & Defending Freedom of Expression Worldwide

‘ The PEN Community expresses full solidarity with Daphne Caruana Galizia’s family in their never-ending fight for justice. Those who killed Daphne sought to silence her, yet her powerful legacy lives...

pen-international.org

A brilliant show of support for seriously ill writer and activist Narges Mohammadi. She needs urgent medical care. We stand in solidarity with her and demand her release.

www.theguardian.com/global-devel... @irishpen.bsky.social @vivianafiorentino.bsky.social @tkieran.bsky.social @neilhegarty.bsky.social @martinadevlinbooks.bsky.social