English PEN

English PEN is the founding centre of PEN International, the worldwide writers’ association. Established in 1921, the organisation promotes freedom of expression and literature across frontiers.^[1] English PEN is a registered charity in England & Wales, and is governed by a board of trustees that is elected from and by members. The current President of English PEN is Maureen Freely. The Director is Jo Glanville.

Memorial

Antony Gormley's Witness, on the piazza of the British Library, London

A cast-iron sculpture entitled Witness, commissioned by English PEN to mark their 90th anniversary and created by Antony Gormley, stands outside the British Library in London. It depicts an empty chair, and is inspired by the symbol used for thirty years by English PEN to represent imprisoned writers around the world. The memorial was unveiled on 13 December 2011.^[2]

Presidents of the English PEN Centre

English PEN Centre presidents
John Galsworthy	1921–32
H.G. Wells	1932–36
J.B. Priestley	1937
Henry W. Nevinson	1938
Margaret Storm Jameson	1939–44
Desmond MacCarthy	1945–50
Veronica Wedgwood	1951–57
Richard Church	1958
Alan Pryce-Jones	1959–61
Rosamond Lehmann	1962–66
L. P. Hartley	1967–70
V.S. Pritchett	1971–75
Kathleen Nott	1975
Stephen Spender	1976–77
Lettice Cooper	1977–78
Francis King	1979–85
Michael Holroyd	1986–87
Antonia Fraser	1988–90
Ronald Harwood	1990–93
Josephine Pullein-Thompson	1994–97
Rachel Billington	1998–2000
Victoria Glendinning	2001–03
Alastair Niven	2004–07
Lisa Appignanesi	2008–2010
Gillian Slovo	2010–13
Raficq Abdulla (acting president)	2013–14
Maureen Freely	2014–

References

1. "Media Enquiries – Key Speakers", English PEN.
2. "The British Library unveils new Antony Gormley sculpture to commemorate English PEN's 90th anniversary". Pressandpolicy.bl.uk. 13 December 2011. Retrieved 16 April 2015.

External links

• Official English PEN website.