PEN Pinter Prize explained

The PEN Pinter Prize and the Pinter International Writer of Courage Award both comprise an annual literary award launched in 2009 by English PEN in honour of the late Nobel Literature Prize-winning playwright Harold Pinter, who had been a Vice President of English PEN and an active member of the International PEN Writers in Prison Committee (WiPC).^{[1] [2]} The award is given to "a British writer or a writer resident in Britain of outstanding literary merit who, in the words of Pinter’s Nobel speech ['Art, Truth and Politics'], casts an 'unflinching, unswerving' gaze upon the world and shows 'a fierce, intellectual determination … to define the real truth of our lives and our societies'."^[3] The Prize is shared with an "International Writer of Courage," defined as "someone who has been persecuted for speaking out about [his or her] beliefs," selected by English PEN's Writers at Risk Committee in consultation with the annual Prize winner, and announced during an award ceremony held at the British Library, on or around 10 October, the anniversary of Pinter's birth.^{[1] [4]}

The PEN Pinter Prize is one of the many PEN literary awards sponsored by PEN International affiliates in "more than 100" PEN International Centers located around the world.

Recipients

2009

• PEN Pinter Prize: Tony Harrison, poet and playwright^[5]
• International Writer of Courage Award: Zarganar (Maung Thura), Burmese artist ^{[1] [6]}

2010

• PEN Pinter Prize: Hanif Kureishi^[7]
• International Writer of Courage Award: Lydia Cacho, Mexican journalist and human rights activist^[7]

2011

• PEN Pinter Prize: David Hare, playwright^[8]
• International Writer of Courage Award: Roberto Saviano, Italian writer and journalist^[2]

2012

• PEN Pinter Prize: Carol Ann Duffy, poet^[9]
• International Writer of Courage Award: Samar Yazbek, Syrian writer^[10]

2013

• PEN Pinter Prize: Tom Stoppard, playwright^[11]
• International Writer of Courage Award: Iryna Khalip, Belarusian journalist ^[12]

2014

• PEN Pinter Prize: Salman Rushdie, novelist^{[4] [13]}
• International Writer of Courage Award: Mazen Darwish, Syrian lawyer and journalist^[14]

2015

• PEN Pinter Prize: James Fenton^[15]
• International Writer of Courage Award: Raif Badawi, Saudi activist

2016

• PEN Pinter Prize: Margaret Atwood^[16]
• International Writer of Courage Award: Ahmedur Rashid Chowdhury, Bangladeshi publisher^[17]

2017

• PEN Pinter Prize: Michael Longley^[18]
• International Writer of Courage Award: Mahvash Sabet, Iranian poet and teacher^[19]

2018

• PEN Pinter Prize: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie^[20]
• International Writer of Courage: Waleed Abulkhair, Saudi lawyer and human rights activist^[21]

2019

• PEN Pinter Prize: Lemn Sissay^[22]
• International Writer of Courage Award: Befeqadu Hailu, Ethiopian writer and blogger^[23]

2020

• PEN Pinter Prize: Linton Kwesi Johnson^[24]
• International Writer of Courage Award: Amanuel Asrat, Eritrean poet^[25]

2021

• PEN Pinter Prize: Tsitsi Dangarembga^[26]
• International Writer of Courage Award: Kakwenza Rukirabashaija, Ugandan novelist^{[27] [28]}

2022

• PEN Pinter Prize: Malorie Blackman^[29]
• International Writer of Courage Award: Abduljalil al-Singace^[30]

2023

• PEN Pinter Prize: Michael Rosen^[31]
• International Writer of Courage Award: Rahile Dawut, Uyghur imprisoned academic^[32]

2024

• PEN Pinter Prize: Arundhati Roy^{[33] [34]}

See also

• Prison literature

External links

• PEN Pinter Prize − English PEN official webpage

Notes and References

1. Web site: PEN Pinter Prize . 5 May 2013 . English PEN (official webpage).
2. Web site: Mafia Writer Saviano Awarded PEN/Pinter Prize in UK . Collett-White . Mike . . 10 October 2011 . 1 September 2012.
3. Web site: Art, Truth and Politics. . 8 Dec 2005 . 1 September 2012 . Harold . Pinter . Harold Pinter.
4. Web site: What's On: The PEN Pinter Prize 2014 . . October 2014 . 14 September 2014.
5. Web site: Tony Harrison Wins Inaugural PEN/Pinter Prize . 22 September 2009 . 1 September 2012 . Flood . Alison . The Guardian.
6. Web site: Political Prisoner Release Should Prompt Continued Pressure on Myanmar . 14 October 2011 . Amnesty International. 14 September 2014.
7. Web site: Hanif Kureishi Scoops PEN Pinter Prize . Alison . Flood . 17 September 2010 . 1 September 2012 . The Guardian.
8. News: David Hare Wins Pinter Literary Prize. BBC News. 26 August 2011. 14 September 2014.
9. News: Carol Ann Duffy Awarded PEN Pinter Prize. BBC News. 13 July 2012. 14 September 2014.
10. Web site: Syrian Author Shares PEN/Pinter Prize with Carol Ann Duffy . Alison . Flood . 9 October 2012 . . 9 October 2012.
11. Web site: Playwright Tom Stoppard Wins PEN/Pinter Prize . . 30 July 2013 . 14 September 2014.
12. Web site: Tom Stoppard Announces Belarus Writer Iryna Khalip As Winner of the PEN/Pinter International Writer of Courage Award 2013. Robert . Sharp . English PEN. 8 October 2013 . 8 October 2013.
13. Web site: Salman Rushdie Awarded the 2014 PEN/Pinter Prize . . Julia . [Ziemer] . 20 June 2014 . 19 June 2014.
14. Web site: Salman Rushdie to share PEN Pinter prize with Mazen Darwish . . Alison . Flood . 10 October 2014 . 8 February 2015.
15. Web site: James Fenton awarded 2015 PEN Pinter Prize . English PEN . Robert . Sharp . June 2015 . 16 June 2015.
16. Web site: Margaret Atwood awarded 2016 PEN Pinter Prize . English PEN . 16 June 2016 . October 14, 2016 . Sharp, Robert.
17. Web site: Margaret Atwood selects Tutul for Pen writer of courage award . The Guardian . 13 October 2016 . 14 October 2016 . Flood. Alison.
18. Web site: Sharp. Robert. Michael Longley CBE awarded PEN Pinter Prize 2017. 1 June 2017. 28 April 2018.
19. Web site: Sharp. Robert. Bahá’í poet Mahvash Sabet shares 2017 PEN Pinter Prize with Michael Longley. 10 October 2017. 28 April 2018.
20. Web site: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie wins PEN Pinter Prize . . 12 June 2018 . 12 June 2018.
21. Web site: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie accepts PEN Pinter prize with call to speak out . . Alison . Flood . 9 October 2018 . 3 June 2019.
22. News: Press Association . Press Association . Poet and playwright Lemn Sissay wins the PEN Pinter prize . 3 June 2019. . London. 3 June 2019 .
23. Web site: Lemn Sissay and Befeqadu Hailu share 2019 PEN Pinter prize . The Guardian . Alison. Flood . 11 October 2019 . 11 October 2019.
24. News: Flood. Alison. 7 July 2020. 'Living legend' Linton Kwesi Johnson wins PEN Pinter prize. en-GB. The Guardian. 8 July 2020. 0261-3077.
25. Web site: 13 October 2020. Eritrean poet Amanuel Asrat named International Writer of Courage. Alison. Flood. 20 October 2020. The Guardian. en.
26. Zimbabwean novelist Dangarembga wins PEN Pinter Prize 2021. The Bookseller. Sian. Bayley. 8 June 2021. 12 October 2021.
27. News: Kakwenza Rukirabashaija named this year’s International Writer of Courage. The Guardian. Alison. Flood. 11 October 2021.
28. Ugandan novelist Rukirabashaija named 2021 International Writer of Courage. Sian. Bayley. The Bookseller. 11 October 2021. 12 October 2021.
29. News: Malorie Blackman’s 'dynamic imaginary worlds' win her the PEN Pinter prize . Sarah . Shaffi. 22 June 2022 . The Guardian . 21 June 2022.
30. Web site: Malorie Blackman shares PEN Pinter Prize 2022 with Dr Abduljalil Al-Singace . 10 October 2022. 2022-10-13 . English Pen . en-GB.
31. Web site: The PEN Pinter Prize 2023: Michael Rosen . British Library . 18 September 2023.
32. News: Knight . Lucy . 2023-10-11 . Imprisoned Uyghur academic named 2023 PEN international writer of courage . en-GB . The Guardian . 2023-10-12 . 0261-3077.
33. Web site: Arundhati Roy awarded PEN Pinter Prize 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240627114825/https://www.englishpen.org/posts/campaigns/arundhati-roy-awarded-pen-pinter-prize-2024/. live. 27 June 2024. 27 June 2024. English PEN.
34. News: Arundhati Roy wins PEN Pinter Prize for 'powerful voice'. https://web.archive.org/web/20240627114153/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp4w8x4wypeo. live. Cherylann. Mollan. 27 June 2024. 27 June 2024. BBC.