Evento

Voices from Russia: Literature and Free Expression in Putin's Russia

The Closing of the Russian Mind? Expression, Creativity and Culture in Putin's Russia

As political constraints tighten on free expression in Russia, PEN will have the privilege of bringing to the United States four prominent Russian literary figures who are braving these currents to stand up for open discourse. Through public events and meetings with fellow writers, journalists, analysts and policymakers, they will share from the inside how censorship and the closing of the creative space are being used to control the narrative of the past and the present. Together, we will explore how the international literary, cultural, and human rights communities can support Russian intellectuals and help defend free expression in Russia.

Ludmila Ulitskaya is one of the most widely read and internationally acclaimed writers of contemporary Russian literature. Maria Stepanova is a poet, critic and independent journalist, and winner of the Andrei Bely Prize in 2005. Anna Nemzer is a a young Russian novelist with an expanding following. She was a finalist for the Belkin prize. Ilya Danishevsky is a publisher as well as a writer and poet. He is chief editor at the Vremena publishing house, and focuses on authors who challenge the official discourse.

This event is in English. Sponsored by PEN