PEN Poem Relay Press Kit: Poetic Petition with 125 Translations Sent to Hu Jintao — PEN Poem Relay
The International PEN Poem Relay Ends with Global Call for Freedom of Expression in China
• PEN Poem Relay Sends “Poetic Petition” to the Chinese Authorities
• 125 Translations into 98 Languages Produced
• Book of the PEN Poem Relay to be Published
In the final countdown to the Beijing Olympics, the International PEN Poem Relay has sent a “Poetic Petition” to the Chinese authorities, including all the translations of Shi Tao’s poem “June” produced as part of this historic poetic journey around the world.
Writers and poets around the world produced 125 translations of “June” into 98 languages. The poem travelled to 65 countries during the four and half month virtual relay, which can still be viewed at www.penpoemrelay.org.
Organisers of the PEN Poem relay will send copies of all 125 translations to the Chinese authorities along with a statement calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Shi Tao and all writers in prison in China. (See Press Kit for Petition Statement.)
“These translations represent the solidarity writers and poets around the world have with Shi Tao and all of the writers in prison in China,” said Chip Rolley of Sydney PEN, co-organiser of the PEN Poem Relay and translator of the poem to English. “Each act of translation is a call for freedom of expression in China.”
“The Relay surpassed our expectations,” said Swiss German PEN’s Kristin Schnider, also one of the organisers of the relay. “Shi Tao’s poem ‘June’ was and is a torch in its own right.”
Daarmee sluit Pen Poem Relay langzaam maar zeker haar campagne voor meer vrijheden en een meer respect voor mensenrechten in China af. Volgens onze eigen regering heeft het (vooralsnog) niet veel impact gehad. Maar:
‘De regering zal de mensenrechtensituatie stelselmatig bij de Chinese autoriteiten aan de orde blijven stellen, bilateraal en multilateraal. Door consistentie in onze benadering, met een open, eerlijke en constructieve dialoog, kunnen we dit gesprek ook op alle niveaus voeren’, aldus Verhagen.
Laten we hopen dat de lange adem uiteindelijk z’n vruchten afwerpt.
