Free the Word: A celebration of world literature

Date(s): 11 Apr 2008 - 13 Apr 2008

This year's festival is now over! But come back to this page soon for photos of events and of our festival writers and, if you were not able to come this time, the chance to listen to some of the highlights ...

Meet the great writers you know and the great writers you don't ...

Free the Word! 2008 Events

The Writer Next Door

Egyptian author Alaa Al Aswany speaks out on translation, engaged literature and why being a dentist makes him a better writer. Read more...

Sacred Land: A Place Called Home

A conversation across seas and cultures about the land rights of indigenous people and giving voice to a place called home. Read more...

Found in Translation 1

Emine Sevgi Özdamar discusses her novel 'The Bridge of the Golden Horn' Read more...

International Poetry

How can politics, poetry and life journeys come together to form new and powerful languages? Read more...

Found in Translation 2

Sjón will be in conversation with Victoria Cribb, the translator of his novella, ‘The Blue Fox’ Read more...

The Insulting Cabaret

Got a favourite insult or banned work? To insult or not to insult - where do you draw the line? Read more...

The Rights of the Reader

A celebration of the liberating power of stories and storytelling - three writers discuss how the world can act as a library for the imagination. Read more...

A Short History of Sedition

A journey through the writings and experiences of literary dissidents - Francisco Goldman, Perihan Magden and Abdellah Taïa. Read more...

Faïza & Friends

Faïza will be giving a different spin to the festival theme, The Writer Next Door - talking about insiders, outsiders, and building a home in language. Read more...

Festival in a Thimble

If you can only attend one event at Free the Word!, step inside our ‘thimble' to savour the highlights. Read more...

Meet the Playwright

Iraqi playwright Hassan Abdulrazzak in conversation with Mike Bartlett, ('Artefacts'), and Andrew Steggall, director of The Old Vic's British-Iraqi bilingual version of 'The Soldier's Tale'. Read more...

Literary Walk and community programme

International Futures

International Futures gets right to the heart of International PEN's work, celebrating the great writers you know and the great writers you don't. Read more...

Enchanted Endings

Rushdie will discuss his latest novel ‘The Enchantress of Florence’, as well as strong female protagonists and the role of the imagination in fiction. Read more...

Sponsored by

The John S. Cohen Foundation, The Foyle Foundation, The Robert Gavron Charitable Trust, The Garfield Weston Foundation, International PEN Festival Founders.