Latest news with #EnglishPEN
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Who is Leila Aboulela, the Sudanese-Scottish writer who just won the 2025 PEN Pinter Prize?
Sudanese-Scottish author Leila Aboulela was named winner of the 2025 PEN Pinter Prize, on Wednesday, joining a prestigious list of writers who, in the spirit of Harold Pinter, have cast an 'unflinching, unswerving gaze upon the world.' The announcement was made at English PEN's annual summer party in London, where Khalid Abdalla (The Kite Runner, 2007) and Amira Ghazalla (Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, 2017) brought Aboulela's work to life in moving readings before an audience of writers, publishers, and cultural figures. Calling the honour 'a complete and utter surprise,' Aboulela said the award brings expansion and depth to the meaning of freedom of expression and the stories that get heard. 'For someone like me, a Muslim Sudanese immigrant who writes from a religious perspective probing the limits of secular tolerance, this recognition feels truly significant,' she said. Aboulela will formally receive the prize at a ceremony on October 10 at the British Library, where she will also announce the Writer of Courage, an individual persecuted for their work defending free expression, with whom she will share the honour. The title has previously been bestowed on figures such as British-Egyptian writer and activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah (2024) who was persecuted for 'spreading false news' and Uyghur folklore expert Rahile Dawut (2023), who was was reportedly sentenced to life in prison by Chinese authorities on charges of endangering state security. Born in Cairo and raised in Khartoum, Aboulela moved to Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1990. Her work explores the themes of migration, faith, memory, and the interior lives of Muslim women navigating the intersections of culture, belief, and belonging. Her novels, including The Translator (1999), Minaret (2005), and most recently, River Spirit (2023), have earned critical acclaim, have been translated into 15 languages, and are now studied in universities. Aboulela was the first winner of the Caine Prize for African Writing and has won both the Saltire Fiction Book of the Year Award and the Scottish Book Awards. She is an Honorary Professor at the University of Aberdeen and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. This year's judges, Ruth Borthwick, Chair of English PEN; poet and author Mona Arshi; and novelist Nadifa Mohamed, praised Aboulela for the force of her storytelling. 'Leila is a writer for this moment,' said Borthwick. 'She tells us rarely heard stories that make us think anew about who lives in our neighbourhoods and communities.' Arshi noted the 'subtlety and courage' with which Aboulela brings silenced lives to the forefront, while Mohamed lauded her for examining 'the interior lives of migrants' and writing with 'a commitment to make the lives and decisions of Muslim women central to her fiction.' The judges emphasised how Aboulela's work, spanning novels, short stories, and radio plays, provides 'a balm, a shelter, and an inspiration' amid global tumult and displacement, particularly poignant given the ongoing conflicts in Sudan, Gaza, and beyond. Named after the late Harold Pinter, the Nobel Laureate whose fierce moral clarity defined much of post-war British drama, the PEN Pinter Prize honours writers who exhibit what Pinter called an 'unflinching, unswerving' gaze upon the world. Since its inception in 2009, the award has recognized writers such as Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie (2018), Arundhati Roy (2024), and, Salman Rushdie (2014), who have consistently challenged political complacency through literature. The tradition continues in Aboulela's work. Aishwarya Khosla is a journalist currently serving as Deputy Copy Editor at The Indian Express. Her writings examine the interplay of culture, identity, and politics. She began her career at the Hindustan Times, where she covered books, theatre, culture, and the Punjabi diaspora. Her editorial expertise spans the Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Punjab and Online desks. She was the recipient of the The Nehru Fellowship in Politics and Elections, where she studied political campaigns, policy research, political strategy and communications for a year. She pens The Indian Express newsletter, Meanwhile, Back Home. Write to her at or You can follow her on Instagram: @ink_and_ideology, and X: @KhoslaAishwarya. ... Read More
Arab News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Sudanese novelist Leila Aboulela awarded PEN Pinter prize for her work on migration
LONDON: Sudanese author Leila Aboulela has been named the winner of the 2025 PEN Pinter Prize, honoring her literary contributions that explore themes of faith, migration and the lives of Muslim women in displacement. The award was announced at English PEN's annual summer party on Wednesday at the October Gallery in London. Judges praised the author for her 'nuanced and rich perspectives on themes that are vital in our contemporary world: Faith, migration and displacement,' calling her work 'a balm, a shelter and an inspiration.' Aboulela, who grew up in Khartoum and has lived in Aberdeen, Scotland since 1990, is known for her six novels including 'Minaret,' 'The Translator,' a New York Times 100 Notable Books of the Year, and 'Lyrics Alley,' as well as two short story collections. Her latest collection 'Elsewhere, Home' won the Saltire Fiction Book of the Year Award. Aboulela's latest novel 'River Spirit,' which was published in 2023, portrays the period leading up to the British conquest of Sudan in 1898, shedding light on the complex human dimensions of the conflict between Britain and Sudan, Christianity and Islam, and the dynamics of colonizer versus colonized. On receiving the award, she said: 'For someone like me, a Muslim Sudanese immigrant who writes from a religious perspective, probing the limits of secular tolerance, this recognition feels truly significant. It brings expansion and depth to the meaning of freedom of expression and whose stories get heard.' She will officially receive the award at a ceremony at the British Library on Oct. 10, where she will also announce the recipient of the accompanying Writer of Courage award. This year's judging panel included poet and author Mona Arshi, novelist Nadifa Mohamed, and English PEN chair Ruth Borthwick, who praised Aboulela's work for its literary depth and social relevance. 'Leila Aboulela's writing is extraordinary in its range and sensibility,' Borthwick said. 'From jewel-like short stories to tender novels, she tells us rarely heard stories that make us think anew about who lives in our neighborhoods and communities, and how they navigate their lives.' Arshi said that the author 'offers us nuanced and rich perspectives on themes that are vital in our contemporary world: Faith, migration, and displacement,' while Mohamed praised Aboulela's work for centring 'the lives and decisions of Muslim women.' 'Her work is marked by a commitment to make the lives and decisions of Muslim women central, and to examine their struggles and pleasures with dignity,' Mohamed said. The PEN Pinter Prize was established in 2009 in memory of Nobel Laureate Harold Pinter. Previous winners include Arundhati Roy in 2024 and Michael Rosen in 2023.
Wales Online
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Sir Salman Rushdie has found 'closure' after knife attack
Sir Salman Rushdie has found 'closure' after knife attack The 77-year-old author was left critically injured after he was stabbed repeatedly onstage just moments before he was due to deliver a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution in New York state in August 2022 (Image: © 2025 PA Media, All Rights Reserved ) Sir Salman Rushdie is "over" the knife attack which almost killed him because he's found "closure". The 77-year-old author was left critically injured after he was stabbed repeatedly onstage just moments before he was due to deliver a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution in New York state in August 2022 and he suffered life-changing injuries including the loss of an eye - but Rushdie is adamant he just wants to move on with his life and stop talking about the horrifying incident. During an appearance at the Hay Festival in Wales over the weekend, Rushdie told the audience: "[I am feeling] excellent ... this is as good as it gets ... "[There are] bits of me that I'm annoyed about, not having a right eye is annoying ... but on the whole I've been fortunate and I'm better than maybe I would have expected." Hadi Matar, 27, is serving 25 years behind bars after being convicted of attempted murder and assault following a trial which concluded in February, while Rushdie wrote about his experiences in his book 'Knife: Meditations After An Attempted Murder' - and he's adamant he wants put the incident behind him now. He said: "I'm glad that trial is over and done with. And that he got the maximum sentence. The closure was more finishing writing about it ... Article continues below "Ever since the attack, really, the only thing anybody's wanted to talk to me about is the attack. And I'm over it. It will be nice to have stories to talk about. "When I wanted to be a writer, it never occurred to me that I would write about myself. That seemed like the most uninteresting thing of all. I wanted to make stuff up." The novelist was airlifted to hospital after the attack and underwent eight hours of surgery. He lost an eye and suffered multiple stab wounds to areas of his face, neck, chest and hand, remaining under the care of doctors for 18 days before starting three weeks of rehabilitation treatment. Rushdie previously revealed he leaned on a therapist to help him write about the near-fatal stabbing - explaining it was the first book he's ever needed help writing. Speaking at a question-and-answer session at an English PEN event at the Southbank Centre in London, Rushdie explained: "[It is the] only book I've ever written with the help of a therapist. Article continues below "It gave me back control of the narrative. Instead of being a man lying on the stage with a pool of blood, I'm a man writing a book about a man live on stage with a pool of blood. That felt good." However, he still found it tough to describe the incident that almost claimed his life. He said: "'The first chapter] in which I have to describe in some detail the exact nature of the attack. It was very hard to do."
The Guardian
02-06-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Must Laila Soueif die from her hunger strike in London before her son Alaa Abd el-Fattah is released?
Laila Soueif is one of the most determined people I know, and for that reason, she is in grave danger. The grandmother, 69, is lying in a hospital bed in central London, perilously close to death after 245 days on hunger strike. She could still survive, but it will depend on the UK government taking strong action. Soueif stopped eating to try to save her son, the imprisoned British-Egyptian national Alaa Abd el-Fattah, an Amnesty International prisoner of conscience and winner of the 2024 English PEN writer of courage award. He has spent more than a decade in an Egyptian jail cell because of his writings on democracy. Soueif wants more than anything else to reunite him with his own son, 13, who lives in Brighton and has barely been able to spend time with his father. Soueif's hunger strike has been fuelled by her frustration with both her governments: the Egyptian government that heartlessly refused to release Abd el-Fattah at the end of his most recent five-year sentence, imposed because he shared a Facebook post about the torture of a prisoner; and the British government, which has not been able even to visit Abd el-Fattah and has been regrettably timid in pushing for its citizen's freedom. This is the second time this year that Soueif's hunger strike has led to her being admitted to hospital, but the danger to her life is far greater this time after so long without food. Her blood-sugar levels are shockingly low and her family spend each day hoping she can make it through the next night. Her doctors say it is a miracle that she is still alive. The pressure on Egypt to release Abd el-Fattah has been growing. The UN working group on arbitrary detention last week issued a landmark opinion determining that he is unlawfully detained and that under international law Egyptian authorities must release him immediately. Given the overwhelming and urgent threats to Soueif's life, and Egypt's repeated insults to the British government and international law, the UK must now ramp up the pressure on Egypt to release Abd el-Fattah. Keir Starmer has rightly raised his case with the Egyptian president, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, but we know this Egyptian government will not respond to words alone: the last three prime ministers also tried discussing the case without success. I have been working on Abd el-Fattah's case as part of a new all-party parliamentary group campaigning for British nationals who are arbitrarily detained, and I find the lack of respect shown by Egypt for the UK's rights in relation to a British citizen alarming. With my colleagues, I recently submitted evidence to the foreign affairs committee inquiry noting that the UK has not taken any action, including sanctions, against any Egyptian authorities responsible for Abd el-Fattah's continued detention beyond the end of his five-year sentence. That position should be urgently reviewed. This week I joined the former British ambassador to Egypt John Casson, the former Foreign Office minister Peter Hain and the campaigner Richard Ratcliffe in calling on the government to change its travel advice to 'caution against travel to Egypt'. In light of what we have learned from Abd el-Fattah's case, the British government must make clear that a UK citizen who falls foul of the police state in Egypt cannot expect fair process or normal support from the British government. Hundreds of thousands of UK citizens travel to Egypt each year, making a major contribution to the country's economy, and the truth is we can't guarantee their rights. The Egyptian government will undoubtedly take notice if its failure to abide by the rule of law starts affecting hotel bookings for the winter season. Alongside this, the UK should be holding off any new trade and investment cooperation with Egypt until Abd el-Fattah is released. The British government should not be signing trade deals with countries that are arbitrarily detaining our citizens. Any plans for the conference announced by the Egyptian government last year to 'pump British investments' should be shelved immediately and there should be no discussion of UK support for financial packages to Egypt. Finally, the British government should look to take this matter to the international court of justice. The Egyptian government's continued refusal of consular access to Abd el-Fattah amounts to a clear breach of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, and Britain should seek to claim its rights at the world court. France has recently taken this step in relation to two of its nationals held in Iran. Soueif's bravery and fortitude is astonishing but if her son's case is not solved urgently, the consequences for her and her family are too terrible to contemplate. Our government has a duty to use every tool available to secure his release. The time for relying solely on polite diplomacy is long past: the prime minister must demonstrate his strength and resolve in this case. Helena Kennedy KC is a Labour peer and was chair of the Power inquiry into the reform of democracy
Perth Now
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Sir Salman Rushdie has found 'closure' after knife attack
Sir Salman Rushdie is "over" the knife attack which almost killed him because he's found "closure". The 77-year-old author was left critically injured after he was stabbed repeatedly onstage just moments before he was due to deliver a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution in New York state in August 2022 and he suffered life-changing injuries including the loss of an eye - but Rushdie is adamant he just wants to move on with his life and stop talking about the horrifying incident. During an appearance at the Hay Festival in Wales over the weekend, Rushdie told the audience: "[I am feeling] excellent … this is as good as it gets ... "[There are] bits of me that I'm annoyed about, not having a right eye is annoying … but on the whole I've been fortunate and I'm better than maybe I would have expected." Hadi Matar, 27, is serving 25 years behind bars after being convicted of attempted murder and assault following a trial which concluded in February, while Rushdie wrote about his experiences in his book 'Knife: Meditations After An Attempted Murder' - and he's adamant he wants put the incident behind him now. He said: "I'm glad that trial is over and done with. And that he got the maximum sentence. The closure was more finishing writing about it ... "Ever since the attack, really, the only thing anybody's wanted to talk to me about is the attack. And I'm over it. It will be nice to have stories to talk about. "When I wanted to be a writer, it never occurred to me that I would write about myself. That seemed like the most uninteresting thing of all. I wanted to make stuff up." The novelist was airlifted to hospital after the attack and underwent eight hours of surgery. He lost an eye and suffered multiple stab wounds to areas of his face, neck, chest and hand, remaining under the care of doctors for 18 days before starting three weeks of rehabilitation treatment. Rushdie previously revealed he leaned on a therapist to help him write about the near-fatal stabbing - explaining it was the first book he's ever needed help writing. Speaking at a question-and-answer session at an English PEN event at the Southbank Centre in London, Rushdie explained: "[It is the] only book I've ever written with the help of a therapist. "It gave me back control of the narrative. Instead of being a man lying on the stage with a pool of blood, I'm a man writing a book about a man live on stage with a pool of blood. That felt good." However, he still found it tough to describe the incident that almost claimed his life. He said: "'The first chapter] in which I have to describe in some detail the exact nature of the attack. It was very hard to do."
