Sir Salman Rushdie, Margaret Atwood to Speak at PEN Festival of Literature

Posted on March 1, 2012

The PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature will be held in New York City from April 30 - May 6, 2012. Sir Salman Rushdie will headline the event, delivering the Arthur Miller Freedom to Write Lecture.

Rushdie had this to say about the importance of the event: "In an era of ever-expanding 'screen-time,' live/in-person readings, conversations and literary performances have never been more radical or more necessary ... These live events break down the invisible walls that separate us into our own solitary computer pods and re-assert the importance of dialogue, activism, and community without borders."

There are a number of interesting talks scheduled. Margaret Atwood will discuss online activism and Jennifer Egan will discuss the role of structure in writing and reading, and how to break the rules. Other participants in the event include Martin Amis, Paul Auster, Graydon Carter, Michael Cunningham, E.L. Doctorow, and Tony Kushner. The festival will also feature match ups between performance artists and writers to create unique collaborations. To find out more, you can visit the PEN website.