Writers Unlimited partners with PEN Netherlands

14 April 2026

Adania Shibli | 2026

Writers Unlimited partnered with PEN Netherlands for the annual PEN Lecture in Amsterdam. The collaboration grew out of a shared mission to promote freedom of expression and creative expression, and highlighted the importance of an open dialogue in which writers, poets and other makers around the world can make their voices heard.

On 17 April, the first annual PEN Lecture took place at De Balie, given by Adania Shibli and titled Words in the Aftermath of Killing the Messengers.

Adania Shibli is an important voice in contemporary literature. Her work explores themes such as power, abuse and freedom of language. As a Palestinian writer, she experienced how Palestinian voices have been suppressed and systematically erased on an unprecedented scale. In October 2023, the Frankfurt Book Fair refused to present her with the LiBeraturpreis due to the war in Gaza.

In the first annual PEN Lecture, Shibli spoke about freedom of expression for writers, poets and journalists and the erasure of the Palestinian perspective.

Taghreed El-Khodary, Maurits de Bruijn and Nadia Bouras responded to the lecture afterwards. Djûke Poppinga, the translator of Shibli’s work, spoke about her role as a translator.