Nordic PEN centres and Estonian PEN gather in Helsinki

The Nordic-Estonian meeting brings Sjón, the President of Icelandic PEN, to Helsinki. (Photo: Magnus Fröderberg, norden.org (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0))

The Nordic-Estonian meeting brings Sjón, the President of Icelandic PEN, to Helsinki. (Photo: Magnus Fröderberg, norden.org (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0))

Members from Danish, Estonian, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian and Swedish PEN centres are gathering in Helsinki to a network meeting on September 7–9 2016. The meeting ends to a public seminar on freedom of speech in our countries on September 9. 

Nordic PEN centres and Estonian PEN are gathering in Helsinki to a network meeting on September 7–9 2016. The event brings together over 20 members from different PEN boards.

In connection to the meeting there will be a public seminar on freedom of speech in our countries on September 9. In Priceless Words – The Nordic-Estonian Freedom of Speech Seminar members from Danish, Estonian, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian and Swedish PEN centres share their views with interesting guests and invite the audience to discuss.

Writer Sirpa Kähkönen, the President of Finnish PEN, is one of the moderators at the Nordic-Estonian Freedom of Speech Seminar. (Photo: Otava, Tommi Tuomi)

Writer Sirpa Kähkönen, the President of Finnish PEN, is one of the moderators at the Nordic-Estonian Freedom of Speech Seminar. (Photo: Otava, Tommi Tuomi)

Discussing on the topic are the following guests: editor and literature researcher Kerstin Almegård (Sweden), author and media researcher, Professor Elisabeth Eide (Norway), journalist Niels-Ivar Larsen (Denmark), author and researcher of Japanese language and culture Rein Raud (Estonia), author Hassan Blasim (Iraq/Finland), author, critic and translator Kätlin Kaldmaa (Estonia), author and poet Sjón (Iceland) and novelist and poet Kári Tulinius (Iceland). The panels are moderated by media researcher and Professor Anu Koivunen (Finland) and author Sirpa Kähkönen (Finland).

Priceless Words – The Nordic-Estonian Freedom of Speech Seminar takes place on September 9 at 13–17 in the Nordic Culture Point in Helsinki. The language of the seminar is English. The registration to the event has ended, but you can follow the live streaming of the seminar at https://connect.ilonait.fi/pricelesswords.

Read more about Priceless Words – The Nordic-Estonian Freedom of Speech Seminar at The Nordic Culture Point’s website.

Priceless Words – The Nordic-Estonian Freedom of Speech Seminar includes author and researcher of Japanese language and culture Rein Raud (Estonia). (Photo: Flickr, Gert Gutmann (CC BY 2.0))

Priceless Words – The Nordic-Estonian Freedom of Speech Seminar includes author and researcher of Japanese language and culture Rein Raud (Estonia). (Photo: Flickr, Gert Gutmann (CC BY 2.0))

Writer Hassan Blasim (Iraq/Finland) is one of the guests in the public seminar on September 9. (Photo: Flickr, Dunkers kulturhus (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0))

Writer Hassan Blasim (Iraq/Finland) is one of the guests in the public seminar on September 9. (Photo: Flickr, Dunkers kulturhus (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0))

Author Kätlin Kaldmaa, the President of Estonian PEN, is one of the panelists in the public Priceless Words seminar. (Photo: Arno Mikkor)

Author Kätlin Kaldmaa, the President of Estonian PEN, is one of the panelists in the public Priceless Words seminar. (Photo: Arno Mikkor)

The seminar is organized in cooperation with Finnish PEN, The Nordic Culture Point and Hanaholmen – the Swedish-Finnish Cultural Centre. The seminar is funded also by The Icelandic-Finnish Cultural FoundationThe Finnish-Danish Cultural Foundation and The Finnish-Norwegian Cultural Foundation. Finnish PEN would like to thank Ministry of Foreign Affairs of FinlandSecretariat for Nordic Co-Operation / Nordic Council of Ministers and cultural center Caisa for cooperation.

PEN Tiedotus