PEN Melbourne

08/10/2026

The Weight of Witness: Stories from Gaza

📍 The Wheeler Centre
🗓️ Wednesday, 11th November
630pm - 745pm

Join us at this live event, edited and introduced by Dr Bushra Othman. This collection is a tribute to the extraordinary work of volunteer medical staff in times of war. Its essays speak to courage, humanity, resistance and the enduring spirit of the Palestinian people, and document the profound impact of caring for others amid devastation.
The Wheeler Centre

07/10/2026

The Costs of Bearing Witness

📍 Ode to Sirens, 25 High Street, Fremantle
🗓️ Thursday 15 October 2026
6:30 – 7:45 pm

Join poets Srijato Bandopadhaya, Robert Wood and Yirga Gelaw Woldeye live as they discuss their different linguistic, social and political backgrounds, their work and
the risks they face in pushing the limits set by political and market forces.
Presented by PEN Perth in association with Totally Lit and Ode to Sirens.

30/09/2026

Join PEN Melbourne and The Wheeler Centre in partnership for The Weight of Witness on Wednesday 11th November.

Bringing together the firsthand accounts of 40 Australian and New Zealand medical professionals who have volunteered in Gaza, documenting what they witnessed and endured working on the frontline of a healthcare system under extraordinary strain.

Edited and introduced by Dr Bushra Othman, the collection is a tribute to the extraordinary work of volunteer medical staff in times of war. Its essays speak to courage, humanity, resistance and the enduring spirit of the Palestinian people, and document the profound impact of caring for others amid devastation.
Tickets to the event are available via the link in our bio or directly through The Wheeler Centre ‘s.
Copies of the collection will be available for sale through

11/09/2026

Emerging Writers' Festival Festival & PEN Melbourne presents “What the Machine Won’t Tell you” this Sunday, 10 September 7.45-8.45pm AEST.

Join writer, editor, broadcaster and Walkley award-winning journalist Jeff Sparrow in conversation with Preesh*ta Shah, journalist and Asia-Pacific Regional Representative for the PEN International’s Young Writers Committee, for an hour on what AI is changing about writing and about us.

Humans have always extended their capabilities and redefined themselves in the process. This conversation asks what we still want to claim as ours and who holds the power while we work it out.

Tickets are Pay-What-You-Wish/ Free and can be booked via the link in our bio.

11/09/2026

PEN Melbourne is delighted to introduce our new President, Cheng Lei.

Cheng Lei brings to PEN Melbourne her exceptional experiences, which include her work as a journalist and wrongful imprisonment in Beijing (2020-2023) which was recounted in her book, A Memoir of Freedom, as well as several notable awards and her inspirational journey that’s led her here.

Welcome to PEN Melbourne, Cheng Lei 👏

08/09/2026

We stand with PEN International and PEN Malta in urging the Maltese authorities to hold those accountable for the killing of Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Read the full story via the link below.

‘ The PEN Community expresses full solidarity with Daphne Caruana Galizia’s family in their never-ending fight for justice. Those who killed Daphne sought to silence her, yet her powerful legacy lives on. We will continue to honour Daphne’s memory and will not rest until full accountability fo...

01/09/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1EmbzSAByB/

🇦🇺✒️The four-time Walkley Award-winning cartoonist Cathy Wilcox is described as having cocked her sceptical eyebrow and poked her inky nib at pretty much any subject you care to name. But following intense controversy over her work, the satirist the announced her decision to leave The Sydney Morning Herald after a 37-year career at last week's PEN Sydney lecture.

Australia’s liberal democracy depends on the freedom of political communication. PEN Sydney is dismayed by the brutal treatment of a cartoonist for expressing a political opinion, and we reaffirm the right of every Australian to criticise government and politicians.

01/07/2026

‘For years, SLAPPs have emotionally and financially burdened Poland’s writers and journalists. As we celebrate the passing of the Anti-SLAPP Act, we call for these positive changes to inspire broader reforms in the country, starting with the long-awaited repeal of criminal defamation’ , said M...

12/05/2026

PEN Sweden member Joakim Medin faces years in prison in Türkiye on account of his journalistic work. His trial in absentia is set to resume in Istanbul.
PEN continue to stand with Medin.

12/05/2026

PEN Sweden member Joakim Medin faces years in prison in Türkiye on account of his journalistic work.
His trial in absentia is set to resume in Istanbul.
PEN continue to stand with Medin.