Overview
The Independent Chinese PEN Centre (ICPC), in partnership with PEN International, invites you to a special conference, “Chinese Prisons and International War,” held on 14 November 2025 in London.
This event forms part of PEN International’s Day of the Imprisoned Writer Campaign (15 November–10 December 2025), a global initiative to honour writers and journalists who face persecution for their words.
Through panels, testimonies, and special presentations, the conference will explore the impact of authoritarianism, surveillance, and conflict on freedom of expression, focusing on writers and human rights defenders imprisoned for their work.
Awards Presentation
Two major honours will be presented during the event:
Liu Xiaobo Courage to Write Award
- Zhang Haitao – Imprisoned citizen journalist and activist
- Ding Jiaxi – Imprisoned human rights lawyer
Recognising their extraordinary courage in defending freedom of expression under repressive conditions.
Freedom to Write Award
- Gao Yu – Veteran journalist repeatedly imprisoned for her reporting
Celebrating her resilience and lifelong commitment to truth and press freedom.
Panels:
- Imprisonment and Surveillance in China:
This panel will examine the operation of China’s prison system, nationwide surveillance, and the experiences of imprisoned writers.
- Benedict Rogers: Human rights advocate focusing on China and Hong Kong.
- Luo Shengchun: Spouse of Ding Jiaxi, human rights lawyer, sharing personal perspectives on imprisonment and advocacy.
- Enver Tohti Bughda: Xinjiang scholar and expert on ethnic minority persecution.
- Cheng Lei: Australian journalist and former detainee in China.
- Moderator: Sheng Xue, writer and activist
2. International Imprisonment and War
This panel will explore the intersection of authoritarianism, war, and the right to freedom of expression.
- Amal Akasha (Sudan): Writer, lawyer and human rights advocate, focusing on social justice issues.
- Iryna Starovoyt (Ukraine): Poet, essayist and Associate Professor of Cultural Studies.
- Third speaker to be confirmed.
- Moderator: Cheng Lei, Australian journalist.
Special Guests:
- Jung Chang: Author of Mao: The Unknown Story, Empress Dowager Cixi, and Wild Swans, known for her historical biographies and research on modern China.
- Yan Geling: Internationally acclaimed novelist and screenwriter, presenting The Criminal Lu Yanshi, exploring political imprisonment through literature.
- Cheng Lei: Journalist and author of A Memoir of Freedom, detailing her imprisonment in China and its consequences.
