A CENTENARY TOAST FOR THE MISSION OF PEN
WE CELEBRATE 100 YEARS SINCE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF PEN [OCTOBER 5, 1921]
On 5th October 1921, in a clear reaction to the evils of the first world war, English writer, playwright and poet Catharine Dawson Scott invited writers from London to the first PEN dinner. The invitation had both a spirit of international literary fraternity and a clear feminist perspective…
Celebrating Literature
Without literature there can be no real freedom of expression. Without freedom of expression there can be no meaningful literature.
The top goal of PEN Greece could not be other than the promotion of Greek literature both within Greece and abroad.
Defending Freedom of Expression
Without freedom of expression, there can be no meaningful literature. Without literature, there can be no real freedom of expression.
Today, in Greece, the freedom of expression is non-negotiable, a basic principle of the Greek democracy, since according to article 11 of the Greek Constitution “Every person has the right to freedom of expression. This right includes freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers.
Documentary in Deutsche Welle about PEN International
My respect for this organization has no borders … PEN has been so fierce, so consistent and ferocious in its efforts that it is hard to ignore their worldwide impact.
Founding Team & Goals
The goals of the Greek PEN are the effort to strengthen the extroversion of Greek literature, the creation of communication channels between Greek authors and people from other literary backgrounds, the contribution to the dissemination of literacy at the national level, the undertaking of actions and the support of initiatives aimed at preserving and safeguarding the right to freedom of expression and the circulation of ideas.
PEN CHARTER
The Charter of PEN International has guided, unified and inspired its members for over 60 years. Its principles were implicit at the organisation’s founding in 1921. However, like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the PEN Charter was forged amidst the harsh realities of World War Two. It was approved at the 1948 PEN Congress in Copenhagen.
ABOUT PEN INTERNATIONAL
PEN International was founded in 1921 and is one of the largest international organizations in the field of promoting literature and protecting freedom of expression. Its members include (or have been included at times) great names in literature and the intellectual world – from James Baldwin, Margaret Adwood, Tony Morrison, Philip Roth, John Steinbeck, Thomas Mann and M. Hain, Joseph Conrad, Arthur Miller, Norman Mailer, Susan Sontag, and Don Delilo.
JOIN PEN GREECE!
Read the PEN Charter
Read the PEN GREECE Constitution
Click on the button below & fill in the form
OUR MEMBERS
FULL INTERVIEW: Barack Obama and the Freedom to Write
Former President Barack Obama on Tuesday received the PEN America Voice of Influence Award during the literary and free expression organization’s annual gala celebration. Accepting the prize, the former president ruminated on race and his political fortunes, human rights, the global contest for ideas amid resurgent authoritarianism, a free press, and the precariousness of social progress in a wide-ranging discussion with historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Ron Chernow.
Disinformation. Spot it. Check it. Stop it.
In a world where independent voices are increasingly stifled, PEN is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.
In times of division between countries, PEN is one of the rare institutions to keep a bridge constantly open.