Des de 1922, defensem la llibertat d'expressió i els drets lingüístics, salvaguardem el patrimoni literari català i promovem el diàleg intercultural.
Since 2006, PEN Català has coordinated the Writers In Refuge Programme. This programme, with its roots in the Shelter Cities programme which was promoted by the International Parliament of Writers, aims to host a writer who is threatened, persecuted or at risk of being imprisoned as a consequence of their writing.
PEN Català promotes literary translation to overcome the linguistic barrier that prevents understanding between people and cultures. It works for both the promotion of Catalan literature in the world and to support the translation of universal literary works into Catalan. It is within this framework that the digital magazine Visat is published.
PEN is committed to the respect of all languages, and the protection and promotion of minority languages. PEN's central and guiding principles on linguistic rights are laid out in the Girona Manifesto, promoted by PEN Català.
PEN Català monitors human rights violations against writers, editors, translators and journalists around the world and organises campaigns to support them.
You can become a full member if you are a writer in any field, journalist, editor or translator and share the founding values of PEN.
If you are not a writer and want to join the defense of languages and freedom of expression, you can be part of the Circle of Friends of PEN.
Help us continue to defend language and freedom of expression.
Sí! El nostre web s'adapta a dispositius mòbils, però encara està en desenvolupament. Per veure-la ara correctament, consulta-la des d'una mida de pantalla major de 1100px ; )
Barcelona was one of the first cities to be integrated into the International Network of Cities of Asylum. Established in 1994 by the International Parliament of Writers, this was officially dissolved in June 2005 for bureaucratic and legal reasons. During this period the city hosted the Albanian Bashkim Shehu and the Cuban Rolando Sánchez-Mejía. Sabadell also joined the network and gave asylum to the Congolese film maker Gilbert Nsangata.
Thus, the Writers In Refuge Programme is not new, however it has made significant changes compared to its predecessor, the most important being that it is carried out under the auspices of ICORN (International Cities of Refuge Network): a legally-constituted network since June 2006. ICORN was founded in order to continue the work of the Writers International Parliament with the conviction that an organisation that efficiently coordinates cities with writers seeking refuge is essential.
Thirty representatives of the Refuge Cities and associations devoted to the defence of freedom of expression participated in the founding assembly of ICORN, which took place in Stavanger in June 2006. Among the participants was the PEN Català, which was chosen as a member of the Advisory Council. During the assembly, the founding charter of ICORN was approved, as well as the model of agreement between the network and the respective Cities of Refuge. The founding Charter is based on the 19th article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which refers to the right to freedom of expression and elaborates on the principles embodied in the Founding Charter of PEN International.
Visit ICORN website