Award-winning novelist Monica Ali to launch University PEN at Surrey
Wednesday 1 June 2011
The author of international best-seller Brick Lane novelist Monica Ali will be the guest of honour as the University of Surrey launches a new collaboration with the English Centre of PEN, the international writers association dedicated to promoting literature and free expression.
Monica Ali, who is a trustee of English PEN will be discussing her work during a public event at the University on Wednesday 8 June which marks the creation of partnership between the University and PEN.
Staff members and students will be able to join PEN at the University of Surrey which will enable them to work on projects including public events with British writers and campaigns for those imprisoned for what they have written.
The launch of PEN at the University comes at an appropriate time with worldwide debates about freedom of speech and expression being influenced by the rising use of the internet and social media.
Profession Marion Wynne-Davies, Head of English at the University of Surrey commented: “We welcome the opportunity to work with English PEN in setting up one of the founding University PEN centres in the UK. This initiative brings together writers, scholars, students and the general public, to celebrate creativity and defend freedom of speech around the world. Our university is renowned for its commitment to real-life issues and this unique venture enables us to engage with research and teaching that has a truly global impact.”
Jonathan Heawood, Director of English PEN commented: “The creation of the Surrey PEN project could not come at a more important time. With the rise of super-injunctions and English PEN’s campaign to reform the libel laws, the issue of free expression is once again in the public mind. It is fantastic that staff and students at the University of Surrey will now be able to debate these issues in depth. The projects we have planned will make a strong and tangible contribution to our mission to promote the freedom to write, and the freedom to read.”
The Department of English at the University of Surrey is recognised for its innovative and imaginative achievements: it launched the first English Literature programme to include a placement year and, now, with the opportunity to work with English PEN the University has developed a module specifically looking at censorship, freedom of speech and literature as part of the undergraduate English Literature degree.
An Audience with Monica Ali will take place in Lecture Theatre M at the University of Surrey from 5pm on Wednesday 8 June. Tickets cost £6 for adults and £3 for students and can be purchased from the box office by calling 01483 686876.
Editors' Notes
Monica Ali
Monica Ali is the author of Alentejo Blue (2006), In the Kitchen (2009) and the recently released Untold Story (2011). Most notably she is the author of the internationally best-selling novel Brick Lane (2003). Brick Lane was shortlisted for the prestigious Man Booker Prize as well as the British Book Awards Literary Fiction Award and Guardian First Book Award, in addition to being longlisted for the Orange Prize. In 2003 Ali was named by Granta magazine as one of the “best young British novelists” and was also the celebrated recipient of the 2003 WH Smith People’s Choice Award. Ali’s work not only explores the themes of transcultural identity and experience, but also generates a rich and lively dialogue by all who come into contact with her texts. In addition to being a renowned novelist, Monica Ali also works to ensure the rights of writers’ freedom and access to speech, by serving as a member on the Board of Trustees for English PEN.
About PEN
English PEN promotes literature and human rights. A registered charity, our membership is drawn from all those who work with the written word: Poets, Essayists, Novelists, academics, journalists, playwrights, publishers, booksellers, translators and literary agents. We were established in 1921 as the founding centre of an international network of PEN centres. PEN International now has a 144 centres in 102 countries.
English PEN defends the rights of persecuted writers abroad, while maintaining a robust defence of free speech in the UK. We promote literature in translation through a major Arts Council funded programme, and run literacy programmes in refugee centres and prisons.
For more information on the work PEN is currently undertaking as well as information on becoming a member, please visit www.englishpen.org. For more information on the University of Surrey’s work with PEN, please contact
Media Enquiries
Mike Findlay, Press Office at the University of Surrey, Tel: +44 (0)1483 686076 , or Email m.findlay@surrey.ac.uk
