About us
Norwegian PEN is the Norwegian division of International PEN founded in 1922. Like several European and North-American centers, Norwegian PEN works primarily with freedom of expression-issues, mostly internationally. Norwegian PEN is activ in International PENs Writers in Prison Committee and the IFEX (International Freedom of Expression exchange) network.
Day-to-day work is carried out by the secretary general, in cooperation with a 12-person board of writers, journalists, publishers and academics and the working committee, which consists of the president, vice president and one board member. Our office is at the House of Literature in Oslo. Norwegian PEN currently has around 400 members who pay an annual membership fee of NOK 400 (about 50 Euros).
Activities
Norwegian PEN is involved in a number of activities, some of which are:
• Coordination of the Norwegian section of the international Cities of Asylum-network
• The annual Ossietzky-prize, awarded during the Day of the Imprisoned Writer. Recent recipients include the Democratic Voice of Burma radio station, chair of the Norwegian Tibet Committee - Chungdak Koren and Palestinian journalist Mohammed Omer.
• Helping writers and journalists in crisis, among them Afghan journalist Sayed Pervez Kambakhsh, who was released from jail in August 2009
• Participation on missions to and subsequent reports from Afghanistan, Turkey, Tunisia, Belarus and Armenia, as well as international meetings and conferences in Beirut, Bogota, Toronto, Montevideo, London, Copenhagen, Istanbul, Dakar, Bled, Ohrid and Glasgow
• Hosting the Global Forum on Freedom of Expression in Oslo (June 2009), including the Writers in Prison Committee-conference and the IFEX AGM
• Follow up of current cases through meetings with Norwegian MPs, the PM and ministry officials
• Establishing and - through the Norwegian state - supporting the Writers House in Kabul, Afghanistan
• Chairing International PENs Writers in Exile Network
• Producing four annual Newsletters and a number of RAN-protestletters and press releases
• Arranging a number of meetings and seminars at the House of Literature, themes including Freedom of Expression and the Beijing Olympics, a commenmoration of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaia who was killed in 2006, the Mohammed cartoons, development of civil society in Afghanistan, defamation of religions and the presidential elections in Iran.
Norwegian PEN´s office is funded by Norwegian writers, the Norwegian Journalists Association and the Norwegian Publishers Association. In addition we receive grants for travel and special projects from the Norwegian Ministry of foreign Affairs and the Freedom of Expression Foundation (Fritt Ord) as well as other sources.