The PEN American center will be launching the first-ever New York Festival of International Literature later this month. Founded in 1921, PEN is the world's oldest human rights and international literary organization. The festival will feature writers from more than 45 countries who will come together for seven days of discussion, tributes, readings, and conversation. The project aims to expand the literary horizons of American audiences. The festival is to take place in New York City, from April 16 through April 22, 2005. A quote from Salman Rushdie, President of the PEN American Center captures one of the ideals behind the event. "The United States needs, as never before, to hear voices from beyond its own borders. Writers are the indispensable intermediaries in this international dialogue, as well as the custodians of the unique artistic patrimony represented by every language." Some of the following writers will be participating in the event: Margaret Atwood, Nuruddin Farah, Jonathan Franzen, Ha Jin, Ryszard Kapuscinski, Antonio Muñoz Molina, Salman Rushdie, Wole Soyinka. For more information, see the official website www.pen.org. Tickets are still available for individual events. Seating at free events is on a first come first served basis.If you happen to be in NYC during the festival go, check it out. I have attached the following events below that will all be open to the public free of admission.Sunday, April 17th 12:00-1:30A Conversation with Ha Jin and Eliot Weinberger at the Dactyl Foundation: 64 Grand St., Ground Floor Co-sponsored by Dactyl Foundation. 2:00–4:00Crossing Borders: Universal Themes in Children's LiteratureCornelia Funke, Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton, Pat Mora, Kyoko Mori, Salman Rushdie; moderated by Lois Lowry Where: National Museum of the American Indian: 1 Bowling GreenCo-sponsored by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council 4:00–6:00 The Global Quixote: Reinventing CervantesJean Canavaggio, Edith Grossman, Susanne Lange, Aleksandra Mancic, Aline Shulman, Barber van de Pol Where: Instituto Cervantes: 211–215 East 49th St. Co-sponsored by the Instituto Cervantes and the Centenario del Quijote de Castilla La Mancha 4:00–6:00 Literature and PowerBernard-Henri Lévy, Tomás Eloy Martínez, Francine Prose, Shashi Tharoor, Oksana Zabuzhko; moderated by John Ralston Saul Where: National Museum of the American Indian: 1 Bowling Green Co-sponsored by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council 7:00–9:00 International NoirJakob Arjouni, Natsuo Kirino, Carlo Lucarelli, Luc Sante, Paco Ignacio Taibo; moderated by Robert Polito Where: National Museum of the American Indian: 1 Bowling Green Co-sponsored by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and New York Review Books 9:00–10:30 Reading: Banned Voices Margaret Atwood, Antoine Audouard, Anouar Benmalek, Rick Moody, Wole Soyinka, Huang Xiang, Where: KGB Bar: 85 East 4th St. Co-sponsored by KGB Bar Monday, April 18th 12:00–1:30 Conversation: Andreï Makine and Adam Gopnik Where: La Maison Française of NYU: 16 Washington Mews (corner of University Place) Co-sponsored by New York University and La Maison Française of NYU Tuesday, April 19th11:00–12:00 Virtual ForumModerated by Lawrence VenutiWhere: www.wordswithoutborders.org12:00–1:30Conversations: featuring Assia Djebar and Lyonel TrouillotWhere: La Maison Française of NYU: 16 Washington Mews (corner of University Place)Co-sponsored by New York University and La Maison Française of NYU2:00–3:30Conversation: Featuring Nancy Huston and Siri HustvedtWhere: La Maison Française of NYU: 16 Washington Mews (corner of University Place)Co-sponsored by New York University and La Maison Française of NYU 3:00–4:30Reading and Conversation: Elena Poniatowska, Jordi Puntí, Laura RestrepoWhere: The King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center at NYU: 53 Washington Sq. South, Suite 201Co-sponsored by New York University and the King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center at NYU 4:30–6:30Writers and Iraq, presented by The New York Review of Books. A panel co-sponsored by The New York Review of Books and the New York Institute for the Humanities at NYU and moderated by NYR Co-Editor Robert Silvers, with Mark Danner, Kanan Makiya, Dunya Mikhail, and Pankaj Mishra Where: Hemmerdinger Hall, NYU: 100 Washington Sq. East7:00–9:00 Africa and the World: The Writer's RoleElizabeth Alexander, Breyten Breytenbach, Tsitsi Dangarembga, Achmat Dangor, Nuruddin Farah, Zakes Mda, Pedro Rosa Mendes, Ngugi wa Thiong'o, and Uwe TimmWriters from Africa and beyond join together in a reading and discussion about African literature considered in both a local and global context.Tishman Auditorium, Vanderbilt Hall: 40 Washington Sq. SouthCo-sponsored by the NYU Creative Writing Program, the NYU Africana Studies Program, and the Institute of African American Affairs7:00Reporting on Transnational Migration: Ian Buruma and Carolin EmckeThis event will focus on the current changes in European societies, specifically on transnational ties in unwanted colonies, and will address the idea of national citizenship in a challenged nation-state; in cooperation with the Goethe-Institut New York and the German Book Office.Where: Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany: 871 United Nations Plaza. ID required. Free; for reservasation call (212) 439-87009:00–10:30Late Night, Love and Hate: Writing in/from Hostile Surroundings, hosted by Words Without Borders Kader Abdolah, Hanan al-Shaykh, Anouar Benmalek, Khaled Mattawa, and Pedro Rosa Mendes; introduced by E. L. DoctorowWhere: The Accompanied Library: 15 Gramercy Park South, Studio 6C (Inside the National Arts Club) Co-sponsored by The Accompanied Library 9:00–10:30Readings and Conversation: Victor Erofeyev and Lilian FaschingerWhere: KGB Bar: 85 East 4th St. Co-sponsored by KGB BarWednesday April 20th 12:00–1:30Conversation: Hanan al-Shaykh and Salman RushdieWhere: W Hotels of New York: 541 Lexington Ave.Co-sponsored by W Hotels6:00–7:30Reading: Núria Amat and Uwe Timm, hosted by TWO LINES: A Journal of Translation With translators reading from TWO LINES' new issue, Bodies.Where: The Accompanied Library: 15 Gramercy Park South, Studio 6C (Inside the National Arts Club) Co-sponsored by TWO LINES and The Accompanied Library 6:00–7:30Reading and Conversation: Fadhil al-Azzawi, Joan Margarit ConsarnauA reading followed by a conversation on the role of poetic heritage in the poets' work.Where: Poets House: 72 Spring Street, Second Floor Co-sponsored by Poets House8:00–10:00 A Believer Nighttime EventChimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Katja Lange-Müller, Minae Mizumura, Rick Moody, Patrick Roth, and others; hosted by Jonathan Ames 10:00–11:30 Conversation: Gary Shteyngart and José Manuel PrietoWhere: Russian Samovar: 256 West 52nd St. Co-sponsored by the Russian SamovarThursday April 21st 11:00–12:00Virtual ForumModerated by Esther AllenWhere: www.wordswithoutborders.org12:00–1:30 Conversation: Bei Dao and Shan Sa with Gish JenWhere: Strand Book Store (Rare Book Room): 828 BroadwayCo-sponsored by the Strand Book Store 2:00–4:00 The Post-National WriterLilian Faschinger, Francisco Goldman, Jose Manuel Prieto, Yuri Rytkheu, Salman Rushdie, Yoko Tawada, Eliot Weinberger, Adam Zagajewski Where: The New School: 66 West 12th St.Co-sponsored by The New School Graduate Writing Program and internationales literaturfestival berlin4:00–6:00 Voices from the New EuropeRafael Chirbes, Victor Erofeyev, Andrei Makine, Cees Nooteboom; moderated by James Miller Where: The New School: 66 West 12th St.Co-sponsored by The New School Graduate Writing Program and internationales literaturfestival berlin6:00–7:00 "Strange Times, My Dear": The PEN Anthology of Contemporary Iranian LiteratureAhmad Karimi Hakkak, Nassim Khaksar, Nahid Mozaffari, Azar Nafisi, Shahrnush Parsipur, Niloufar Talebi, Goli Taraghi, Sholeh Wolpe Where: The New School: 66 West 12th St.Co-sponsored by The New School Graduate Writing Program and The International Freedom to Publish Committee of the Association of American Publishers, and Persian Cultural Foundation7:00Durs Grünbein and Uwe Timm: New Translations Reading in German with selections in English from Ashes for Breakfast and In My Brother's Shadow, read by Michael Hofmann and Ayesha Pande; in cooperation with Farrar, Straus and Giroux, the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, and the German Book Office.Where: Goethe-Institut New York: 1014 Fifth Avenue 9:00–10:30UniVerse: World Literary VoicesFadhil al-Azzawi, Bei Dao, Breyten Breytenbach, Martín Espada, John Godfrey, Joan Margarit Consarnau, Dunya Mikhail, Elena Poniatowska, Elif ShafakWhere: St. Mark's Church: 131 East 10th St.Co-sponsored by Rattapallax and the Poetry Project at St. Mark's Church11:00-12:00 Virtual ForumModerated by Andre AcimanWhere: www.wordswithoutborders.org