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International Congress

The first annual International Congress was hosted in London in 1923. From the beginning, as John Galsworthy noted, the founding London club (today English PEN Centre) served as the hub around which each newly created Centre 'goes as it pleases on terms of perfect equality'. To make this federalist ideal a reality, PEN established a tradition of annual congresses in London, then New York, Paris, Berlin, Brussels, and Oslo.

Le congrès international

Le premier Congrès international annuel a eu lieu à Londres en 1923. Dès le début, comme l’a noté John Galsworthy, le club fondateur de Londres (aujourd’hui English PEN Centre) a servi de centre autour du quel chaque Centre nouvellement créé ‘va à sa guise en termes d’égalité parfaite’. Pour faire de cet idéal fédéraliste une réalité, le PEN a établi une tradition de congrès annuels, organisés chaque année dans une ville différente, à commencer par Londres, en 1923.

El Congreso PEN

El primer Congreso Internacional anual se celebró en Londres en 1923. Desde el principio, como señaló John Galsworthy, el club londinense fundador (hoy English PEN Centre) sirvió como el centro alrededor del cual cada Centro recién creado ‘va como le plazca en términos de perfecto igualdad’. Para hacer realidad este ideal federalista, PEN estableció una tradición de congresos anuales, que se celebran cada año en una ciudad diferente, comenzando con Londres en 1923.

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Selection from the International Congress

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1 Delegates at the welcoming party in Bled

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2 Bled Island during the 71st Congress

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3 Free the Word! at the 85th Congress

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4 Heinrich Böll at the 43rd Congress

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5 Grass and Aridjis at the 72nd Congress

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6 TLRC presentation in Ourense

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7 Simona Škrabec’s report at the 82nd Congress

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8 Takeaki, Dussault and Jolicoeur in Ourense

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9 Global Language Park delegates messages

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10 Delegates of the African Centres in Bled

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11 Welcoming party at Bled Castle

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12 Sara Whyatt and John R. Saul at the 56th Congress

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13 Günter Grass with delegates at the 72nd Congress

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