Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Date: Wednesday 29 April
Time: 18:00 – 19:30
Location: Curtis Auditorium, Herschel Building
English 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 on 29 April 2026, at the Curtis Auditorium, Newcastle, in partnership with New Writing North and the Newcastle Centre for Literary Arts.
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”. After delivering his lecture, he will be in conversation with award-winning writer and NCLA Director Preti Taneja.
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Subscribe to our YouTube channel: youtube.com/c/INSIGHTSPublicLecturesNCL
Follow INSIGHTS Public Lectures on Twitter: twitter.com/InsightsNCL
Visit the INSIGHTS Public Lectures Website: ncl.ac.uk/events/public-lectures
Date: Wednesday 29 April
Time: 18:00 – 19:30
Location: Curtis Auditorium, Herschel Building
English 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 on 29 April 2026, at the Curtis Auditorium, Newcastle, in partnership with New Writing North and the Newcastle Centre for Literary Arts.
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”. After delivering his lecture, he will be in conversation with award-winning writer and NCLA Director Preti Taneja.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for watching.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: youtube.com/c/INSIGHTSPublicLecturesNCL
Follow INSIGHTS Public Lectures on Twitter: twitter.com/InsightsNCL
Visit the INSIGHTS Public Lectures Website: ncl.ac.uk/events/public-lectures
