Ghazi Hussein took part in Scottish PEN’s event at this year’s Big Lit Festival in Gatehouse of Fleet, a joint Writers in Exile/Writers at Risk event chaired by Liz Niven. After performing several of his poems, Ghazi talked to Jean Rafferty about his years of suffering, not just in Syria but also in Scotland, where racist attacks made his flat in Sighthill more a prison than a home.

Dangerous Women: Podcast Series

Jean Rafferty describes the Worldwide Reading for Ashraf Fayadh event held in Glasgow’s Clutha Bar.

Mexican Journalism student Bernardo Otaola Valdes delivered a testimony about writing in his home country at our Day of the Dead event.

‘At Charlie Hebdo we knew we were targeted. All my colleagues knew they were risking their lives. Before the massacre I never took events seriously, but after what happened to my colleagues I do. I must be careful – all those who defend freedom of speech have to be careful now.’

The work of Scottish PEN’s Writers in Prison Committee (WIPC) is often more frustrating than satisfying. We campaign on behalf of imprisoned and persecuted writers, many of whom have been jailed for talking about their governments in much the same way that many of us rage about David Cameron’s old Etonian Cabinet or the bedroom tax or Tony Blair’s promotion of war. […]

The Clutha crash – and poet John McGarrigle  Author and journalist Jean Rafferty shares her reflections on the Clutha helicopter crash and the Scottish poet John McGarrigle, one of those who died in the wreckage of the Glasgow pub. Jean’s sister manages the Scotia, sister pub to the Clutha.  The picture of Billy Connolly on […]

On Friday 20 September, 2013, the pamphlet Freedom of Expression in the New Scotland, written by Jean Rafferty and Alan Bissett was launched – a joint venture by Scottish PEN and the Saltire Society. In this article, Jean Rafferty describes the process of collaboration and highlights issues raised during the debate at the Saltire Society, […]