Writers for Peace

The International PEN Writers for Peace Committee was founded in 1984 as a response to the difficulties posed to cultural collaboration during the Cold War years. Its key aim was to open doors to peaceful and intellectual cooperation, encouraging the sharing of ideas and writings, during a period when many other doors were closed. During its early years, the Committee's annual meetings in Bled gave space for a democratic dialogue between writers from both East and West and during the break-up of the former Yugoslavia, offered somewhere that writers from these countries could exchange views and tell their stories.

Today, it continues to provide a platform for intercultural and literary dialogue and understanding. The Bled Conferences act as a coming together of writers and PEN members from all over the world to discuss and debate many issues that are of concern to the literary community. Themes have included Freedom of Expression as a Means Against Terrorism, Globalisation of the World - Marginalisation of Literature and The Role of International PEN in the Contemporary World.

The current chair is Edvard Kovac and is based at the Slovene PEN Centre.