nglish PEN’s annual PEN Lecture invites a leading writer to reflect on the current state of free expression, and to explore the resonance – or dissonance – of the words of the PEN Charter, the guiding principles of the organisation, with our current reality. The 2026 PEN Lecture will be delivered by award-winning writer Max Porter, author of the international bestsellers, Grief is the Thing with Feathers, Lanny, and Shy (Faber), in partnership with New Writing North and NCLA.
In an era of upheaval and conflict, Porter will ask what place the Charter’s principles hold in our society, reflecting particularly on its phrase “in time of peace”. Following this, he will be in conversation with award-winning writer and NCLA Director, Preti Taneja.
Price
From £5Duration
- 29th April 2026
