Category Archives: News in ICPC

Condolence to Mr. Václav Havel from the Independent Chinese PEN Center

Posted on 12/21/2011 by wipc| 1 Comment

Dear Jiri, dear Igor and the friends of the Czech PEN,

The Independent Chinese PEN (ICPC), my Chinese colleagues and I are deeply saddened that Mr. Václav Havel has passed away on December 18th.

Mr. Havel was a great humanist. His humanity illuminated both his literary and political achievements. As a past victim of the communist-dictatorship, he set up an example, how powerful a powerless is in fighting for the freedom and human dignity.Havel’s spirit and courage have inspired generations of Chinese intellectuals. People devour his books and speeches. The former president of ICPC, Mr. Liu Xiaobo,has been a follower of Mr. Havel ever since he was a young writer in the 80s. He has modeled Charter 77 and initiated with others the Charter 08 in searching for a democratic future of China in 2008. After Liu’s arrest and sentence, Mr. Havel has shown his solidarity with Liu Xiaobo and appealed repeatedly for his release. He also nominated Liu to Noble Peace Prize. On December 10th this year, despite his bad health, Mr. Havel still lauched the Forum 2000 Conference in Prague, a roundtable focused on the democracy and human rights situation in Asia as well as in commemoration of the first anniversary of the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo.The world and the Chinese intellectuals will keep Václav Havel in their memory as paragon and friend. The world becomes more beautiful and dignified because of you.

In deep condolence and gratitude

Tienchi Martin-Liao

President of the Independent Chinese PEN Center
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ICPC Statement on PEN International Day of Imprisoned Writers

Posted on 11/16/2011 by wipc| 评论关闭

For Press Release

ICPC Statement on PEN International Day of Imprisoned Writers
Three Writers Honored To Liu Xiaobo Courage to Write Awards

On 15 November 2011, Independent Chinese PEN Centre (ICPC) announced that three imprisoned writers, Hada, QIN Yongmin and CHEN Wei, were honored as this year’s laureates of its Liu Xiaobo Courage to Write Award for their long-term tenacity and courage in writing regardless of repeated imprisonments; Besides, ICPC have granted 9 new honorary members, CHEN Wei, LI Tie, Memetjan Abdulla, WANG Lihong (Female), Jangtse Donkho, Buddha, Kalsang Jinpa, Dokru Tsultrim, and WEN Yan (aka SUN Buer). Continue reading →

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ICPC’s Road of A Decade: Harmony Within Differences

Posted on 07/25/2011 by wipc| 46 Comments

By Ma Jian

This year, Independent Chinese PEN Centre is 10 years old. It has developed from 30+ members to nearly 300, from a baby starting its steps to the one going to the world, having experienced all the ups and downs of growth. Today, I will only talk about my personal experience at ICPC Board as I may be the only founding member there. Continue reading →

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Preparations for ICPC Founding

Posted on 07/25/2011 by wipc| 2 Comments

By Bei Ling

1, The Origins of ICPC Creation

On August 27, 2000, I, as a Chinese citizen imprisoned for “illegal publication” of a literary magazine, was sent directly to a flight in Beijing to “deport” for exile in USA according to an agreement between the Chinese and US governments.

In October 2000, I went to Los Angeles to receive the PEN US West Center’s 2000 Freedom to Write Award. Mr. Homero Aridjis, the President of International PEN, and his wife attended the awarding ceremony. Mr. Aridjis, a Hispanic Mexican poet of 60s, had a talent of a politician and diplomat like many Latin American writers such as Pablo Neruda and Mario Vargas Llosa, the laughing strategists. Another goal of his trip was to discuss with me about establishing a PEN center of Chinese writers in exile. During next two days, at the awarding dinner party and in the empty hotel at city center, Mr. Aridjis and some board members of PEN US West continuously persuaded me that my own experiences of arrest and detention in August 2000 had demonstrated the great urgency of creating a PEN center of Chinese writers in exile. Continue reading →

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ICPC Origin and Development

Posted on 07/25/2011 by wipc| 4 Comments

By Yu Zhang

PEN International, formerly known as International PEN, founded on 5th October 1921, is currently the only global association of writers. The traditional constituents of PEN membership are summed up in its three letters: P stands for Poet and Playwright, E for Editor and Essayist, and N for Novelist. As a word in combination, PEN is also a traditional tool of writing, very meaningful. Today, a reporter, literary translator or publishes is also eligible to become a member of PEN. Continue reading →

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Speech for Receiving 2009 Writers in Prison Award

Posted on 07/24/2011 by wipc| 46 Comments

By David Tsui (Xu Zerong)

Distinguished guests and ICPC members
How do you do! I am the recipient of 4th Writers in Prison Award in 2009. When it was awarded I was still in prison, unable to personally receiving the award. Today I am very much honored and pleased to take it personally and give a speech. Thank ICPC for your profound kindness. Continue reading →

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Remarks on ICPC’s Awarding of Zarganar

Posted on 07/24/2011 by wipc| 2 Comments

By Marian Botsford Fraser
Chair of Writers in Prison Committee, PEN International

Fellow PEN members, honoured guests,
May I start by saying what an honour is for me to be here to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Independent Chinese PEN Center and to present the first Liu Xiaobo Courage to Write Award.

This center has been remarkable since its origins of founding, in the long cold shadow of June, 1989. As Chair of Writers in Prison Committee of PEN International, it has been my great pleasure to work with ICPC, a relationship that began in December, 2007, when, with PEN Canada and American PEN, we launched the Olympics campaign. The hallmarks of that campaign, and every subsequent engagement and collaboration, have been efficiency, speed, accuracy, but also, great warmth and generosity of spirit. ICPC is not only one of the most active of PEN centres, but also one of PEN International’s greatest resources. Continue reading →

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ICPC Statement on 2010 Liu Xiaobo Courage to Write Award

Posted on 07/24/2011 by wipc| 1 Comment

On 15 November 2010, PEN International’s Day of Writers in Prison, Independent Chinese PEN Center (ICPC) announced two imprisoned writers, LIU Xianbin in China and Zarganar in Burm, were honored as first laureates of its Liu Xiaobo Courage to Write Award for their long-term tenacity and courage in writing regardless of repeated imprisonments.

The Liu Xiaobo Courage to Write Award was the “Writers in Prison Award” created in 2006, which honored 1-2 individuals annually. The former laureates are YANG Tongyan, ZHANG Lin, LÜ Gengsong, DU Daobin and XU Zerong. This year, it is named for the commemoration of the courage in writing manifested over last 20 years by Dr. Liu Xiaobo, ICPC’s honorary and former President who has now been condemned to a severe sentence of 11 years in prison as well as for his constant support to this award. Dr Liu Xiaobo is also one of 50 cases featured by the Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN in its 50th anniversary campaign, Because Writers Speak Their Minds, and he is now honored the Nobel Peace Prize for 2010. Continue reading →

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To Love This World

Posted on 07/24/2011 by wipc| 1 Comment

Speech for Receiving ICPC 2010 Lin Zhao Memorial Award

By Cui Weiping

This winter day assumed its serenity at last, and I was counting my gain and loss of the year. Hardly had there been another year in my life in which I was undergoing more turbulence than in 2010. At that moment, the Independent Chinese PEN decided to grant me the Lin Zhao Memorial Award, which was such a big surprise to me. To see my name put side by side with the kind like Woeser (2009) and Lu Xuesong (2005), I feel I am greatly honored, given especially that we are all gathering under Lin Zhao’s name and deeply guided by her spirit. Why cannot we help but being attracted to the late female? Why do we look up on her like a bright star that gives us strength in dark nights? Why do we want to take her as a source for our today’s thought and action? At Lin Zhao’s statue inauguration ceremony last May, I wrote the sentence: “Because of you, we have acquired our own genealogy.” Continue reading →

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Maintaining Flint Fire for Fuel

Posted on 07/24/2011 by wipc| 1 Comment

A Speech for Receiving ICPC 2010 Freedom to Write Award

By Ye Fu

It is difficult for me to imagine that for mankind there exists such an award for writing in the name of “freedom”, those to whom she was awarded are just those Chinese writers who are silently exercising their natural right to “freedom of creation”.

There is hardly a nation of people with its scripts who, after being depicted for 3300 years, still cannot reach the origin of their free writing, but have to encourage their users in this way of awarding them for practicing their nature born of language.
Therefore, at the moment when this award was named, Chinese language became awkward against other languages of mankind. While I fortunately stand in this relatively lonely lineup of the awardees, I feel as a fish on a chopping board, my inner scales peeling off layer by layer – in front of the world, exposing the nudity of our dastard, weak and desperate struggle. Continue reading →

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