Our Chair attended “Words for the Silenced: A Human Rights and Poetry Event”, organised by Exiled Writers Ink in collaboration with the Westminster and Mayfair Amnesty groups and the Regent’s University Liberal Studies Department. The aim was to share work from Imprisoned Writers around the World.

Poets featured included Ahmed Mansoor (UAE), Ilhan Sami Comak (Turkey), Varavara Rao (India) Mahvash Sabet (Iran), Golrokh Iraee (Iran), Galal El-Behairy (Egypt) and Alaa Abdel Fattah (Egypt).

Poems were read out by journalist Bill Law and human rights activists Drewery Dyke, Richard Ratcliffe, Nazanin Zaghari Ratcliffe, Caroline Stockyard and Latika Radcliffe amongst others. They also reflected about their own experiences as human rights defenders, and their recollections of meeting these poets.

There was a good turnout, with around 70 people attending. Altogether a moving and enjoyable evening, and a great opportunity to network!