Journalists are reporting heroically in Gaza and risking their lives for one purpose, to share what is happening openly.

The world owes a lot to the journalists working in the region.

Lewis Spence, from Broughty Ferry, Dundee, was a forerunner of MacDiarmid's in his use of Scots. This poem on the River Tay is probably my favourite of his. Not much attention is paid to Spence now. What are the best critical sources on (any aspect) of his work?

The 2024 Scottish PEN Helen Cruikshank Lecture
30 May, SALTIRE SOCIETY – tickets £5
Award-winning actor, singer-songwriter, director & writer Gerda Stevenson presents this year’s Helen Cruikshank Lecture, on the subject of “Writing & Performing”
eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-helen-cr…

I was able to visit Julian Assange in Belmarsh prison today - my 6th visit since August. Despite the good news this week in the legal case, seeing him in these grim conditions is always heavy. He shouldn’t be behind bars in the UK, the US, or anywhere. It’s time to #FreeAssange !

Scottish PEN lecture, The Saltire Society, 22 High Street, Edinburgh, 7-8.30 pm, Thursday 30th May

Gerda Stevenson on Writing and Performing.

eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-helen-cr…

Tickets £5. Please cut and paste the link to register

Liam McIlvanney Raewyn Riach Gerard Carruthers

The Scottish PEN Helen Cruikshank Lecture: Thursday 30th May, 7-8.30 pm, The Saltire Society, 22 High Street, Edinburgh

Tickets £5. Cut and paste this link to register.

eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-helen-cr…

Scottish PEN Association for Scottish Literature @IASSL Scottish Poetry Library Scottish Book Trust ScottishWriters

Excited and honoured to have been appointed Director of the new National Poetry Centre in Leeds - the brainchild of Simon Armitage as a legacy of his poet laureateship. Can’t wait to get going next week, and to support poetry all over the UK. nationalpoetrycentre.org.uk

📚🐛

Here she is...

My friend Mick Napier Scottish PSC is on trial for opposing the Israeli genocide in #Palestine
If you're in #Edinburgh tomorrow, please give Mick your support & solidarity
#StoptheGenocideNow
#StopZionism
#FreePalestine
GGEC Scottish PEN Ricky Monahan Brown Ruth Aylett also [email protected]

A wonderful review of the Sharp book by Mario Relich in ‘Scottish Affairs’, the EUP journal. Thanks Mario!

euppublishing.com/doi/epub/10.33…
Liam McIlvanney Gerard Carruthers Scottish PEN Association for Scottish Literature Federation of Writers (Scotland)

Check me all goofy at winning last year's Anne Brown Prize. This was such a present to me. Great to see it's open for entries for 2024, details below. Scotland is packed full of great nonfiction writers. Enter! Enter! Enter! Enter! And pls share far and wiiiiiide. ↘️↘️↘️

First France, and now the Netherlands, have obeyed Germany's Schengen ban on Ghassan Abu Sitta, as Europe seems to close ranks to silence a key witness to war crimes.

ICJP are continuing to work with partners to challenge this undemocratic censoring of the renowned doctor.

Honoured to be speaking with Nathália Urban at this NUJ Scotland event. I'll talk about #DaphneCaruanaGalizia in the context of the ongoing genocide in #Palestine . All welcome.
Scottish PEN GGEC Scottish PSC John Hilley Mick Napier Ricky Monahan Brown
eventbrite.co.uk/e/stories-of-r…

PEN International President, Burhan Sonmez, on the plight of journalists and erasure of press freedom since #Israel 's bombing on Gaza began on 7 October 2023. On #WorldPressFreedomDay , take action and demand the protection of the press: pen-international.org/our-campaigns/…

On #WorldPressFreedomDay , PEN International urgently calls for the defence of press freedom in #Gaza and across the region amidst the death of 97 journalists and media workers since 7 October 2023. Take action with us: pen-international.org/our-campaigns/… #Israel

On #WorldPressFreedomDay , we reiterate our call for an immediate ceasefire, and urge the UK to take measures to protect journalists and defend press freedom in the Israel-Gaza conflict.

Yesterday, #FreeAlaa was glowing over Westminster
I truly hope David Cameron and Rishi Sunak got to see it and will do something tangible to get Alaa back with his son and family!

The years are painful, the lax attitude of the GOV.UK is very hurtful!

Thank you Amnesty UK

PEN International mourns the death of renowned author and dear friend of PEN, Paul Auster. 'His absence leaves a void in the hearts of his PEN colleagues and the entire literary community, a testament to the profound influence he wielded.' - Burhan Sonmez, PEN International

As part of the Glasgow May Day programme, for which the theme this year is internationalism, the NUJ Glasgow branch is hosting an event discussing international news reporting.

6.30pm, Thursday 9 May, Community Newsroom, Govanhill

Sign up here: eventbrite.co.uk/e/stories-of-r…