To mark the 90th anniversary of English PEN, we are delighted to host this special roadshow event featuring Edward Docx, Catherine O’Flynn, John McAuliffe and Shamshad Khan, giving voice to the words of authors who have campaigned for the freedom to write and read. The performance is based entirely on the words (extracts from the debates, speeches, papers and letters) of authors who have touched or been touched by the work of PEN. PEN is the thread that sews together some of the most significant moments in the literature and politics of the last 90 years, from the emergence of totalitarianism in the 1930s, through the attempt by writers to maintain cultural dialogue during the Second World War, the emergence of violent censorship during the Cold War, the Lady Chatterley trial of 1960, the pressures of the 1970s and the religious controversies that continue to silence writers today.

Part of Manchester Literature Festival.