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Back for a third year, International PEN’s Free the Word! festival of world literature is set to take London on a global journey of words through conversations with the great writers you know and the great writers you don’t. Offering a readers’ box of delights, come and interrogate the nature of language, speak graphically about the graphic novel, discuss the fact of fiction and listen to the voices of tomorrow.

Writers include Chinua Achebe (Nigeria/US), Korash Atahan (Uyghurs of China/Germany), Richard Ford (US), James Kelman (Scotland), Rutu Modan (Israel), Natalia Morari (Moldova), Blake Morrison (UK), Leonardo Padura (Cuba), Nawal El Saadawi (Egypt), Adania Shibli (Palestine), Gillian Slovo (South Africa/UK), Jakob Strid (Denmark) Victor Teran (Mexico), Juan Gabriel Vasquez (Colombia) and Derek Walcott (St Lucia).

The Young Vic is hosting the Free the Word! regular literary food fix. Enjoy lunch whilst you savour titbits from across the festival, all packed into nice little bite-sized chunks. The Literary Lunch features Sujata Bhatt, Deon Meyer, Zurab Rtveliashvili, Leonardo Padura, Natalia Morari and many more festival writers. This year we will be celebrating 50 years of International PEN’s Writers in Prison Committee so come and help us raise a glass …

Tickets are free so just turn up! For information about Free the Word! events at other venues visit www.internationalpen.org.uk.

Free the Word! will take place in The Cut bar at the Young Vic