PEN Melbourne

PEN Melbourne invites you to an evening devoted to honouring free speech and our collective commitment to defending human rights and civil liberties. This year’s awards spotlight journalists silenced for exercising their right to report freely. Held on the PEN International Day of the Imprisoned Writer, the Voltaire Empty Chair Human Rights Award is dedicated to journalists and writers who have suffered imprisonment or lost their lives reporting from conflict zones. The 2024 award honours, in particular, the journalists who have died and those who continue to risk their lives reporting from Palestine, where over 120 journalists have been killed in the past year alone. Join us as we celebrate the courage of journalists and recognise the critical role independent journalism plays in upholding human rights worldwide. PEN Melbourne will accept the Empty Chair Award on behalf of all journalists and writers who have made extraordinary sacrifices in conflict zones. PEN Melbourne members receive a 10% discount with code "PEN2024." Book your tickets here.