The Hague: The annual Oxfam Novib PEN awards 2016 were given away at the Writers Unlimited literary function held in The Hague but none of the three winners for 2016 were present to receive the awards. Amanuel Asrat of Ertirea, Can Dundar of Turkey and Omar Hazek of Egypt were the final awardees.
The annual Oxfam Novib / PEN awards are given to writers and journalists or poets and filmmakers who have defended freedom of expression in the face of persecution from both state and non-state actors.
Eritrean poet and writer Amanuel Asrat and Turkish writer and journalist Can Dundar are both in prison. Omar Hazek of Egypt had travel restrictions imposed on him.
Amanuel, the Eritrean poet, wrote poems against the war that has engulfed neighbours, Ethiopia and Eritrea. He was a song writer and was editor-in-chief of Eritrea’s leading newspaper Zemen (Times). An art critic, Amanuel was a rare literary figure who helped revive the passion for poetry and the love of literature among the youth.
Amanuel’s famous poem ‘The Scrouge of war’ where two brothers spill blood, was translated in several of the world’s languages in September last year. A younger Eritrean scholar, Hobtom Johannes, received the award on his behalf.
Can Dundar is now in detention awaiting trial for releasing a video on Turkish intelligence officials and arms in transit. Charges of spying were levelled against him. His wife who represented him read out his letter. With only pen and paper at his disposal, in the prison, he cheers himself up by likening the paper in the writer’s hands to that of a magic carpet with which he is able to fly to The Hague, for the awards event, for instance.
Alluding to the dark comedy of receiving the freedom of expression award while being held in captivity, he derives a larger solace. Can writes, “However, if one remembers what those from Cervantes to Dostoevsky went through for daring to touch the object called pen, one does not feel that lonely”.
Hazek is a former employee of the famous library in Alexandria and a well known Egyptian man of letters. He was sentenced for his protests when he expressed solidarity with those who died on account of police excesses in the aftermath of the Egyptian revolution in Jan2011. He was however set free by a presidential pardon after being held for two years.
Alaa al Aswany, his compatriot and the famous Arab Novelist, received the award on Hazek’s behalf and read his letter of acknowledgement. Omar Hazek expressed great solidarity with other writers and journalists in Egypt who have been similarly persecuted in his letter. He was perhaps hoping that such awards would not only send a message of hope to writers wilting in prisons but also a strong signal to their detractors.
Farah Karimi, who heads Oxfam Novib, said her organization joined PEN in instituting these awards. “I do hope that writers from richer countries would take up the cause of the starkly rising inequality in the world we now live in,” Karimi said. Recent data revealed by Oxfam show that just 62 rich people of the world own as much wealth as 3.6 billion people who represent the poorer half of mankind.
(The writer is a freelancer who contributes on a range of topics including literature, environment and economics)
