EWC
  • ABOUT US
    • WHO WE ARE
    • OUR BOARD
    • OUR MEMBERS
    • STATUTES
    • MEDIA
    • CONTACT US
  • NEWS
    • NEWSROOM
    • EVENTS
    • PROJECTS
      • #FREE ALL WORDS
  • ALLIANCES
    • JOINT STATEMENTS
    • STAKEHOLDERS
  • AUTHORS’ RIGHTS
    • ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
    • ARTISTIC FREEDOM
    • CONTRACTS
    • EDUCATIONAL SECTOR
    • E-LENDING
    • PLR
    • STATEMENTS
    • SURVEYS
    • WORKING GROUPS
  • CULTURE POLICY
    • #BEHINDEVERYBOOK
    • CRISIS MONITORING
    • DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
  • CULTURAL EXCHANGE
    • EWC BURNING ISSUS FORUM
    • EWC LITERARY EVENTS

CURRENT PROJECT

Free All Words#FreeAllWords: International Text and Translation Fund of the European Writers‘ Council (EWC) gives a voice to authors from Belarus and Ukraine

freeallwords.com

The EWC condemns the detaining of poets and translators in Minsk and the action against Nobel Laureate Svetlana Alexievich

9th September 2020

The European Writers’ Council condemns the detaining of three poets and translators in Minsk and the action against the Nobel Prize winner for literature, Svetlana Alexievich

Yesterday evening the poets and translators, Hanna Komar, Uladz Liankevich and Siarzh Miadzvedzeu of the Belarusian PEN Centre, were arrested and taken to Akrestina Prison. Today, 9 September, police teams are searching the house where Svetlana Alexievich lives.

 Brussels, 9 September 2020 I Outrageous acts against authors and culture are carrying out in Belarus. Yesterday evening (8 September) three PEN BELARUS members, Hanna Komar, Uladz Liankevich and Siarzh Miadzvedzeu, were arrested while demonstrating peacefully, and taken to Akrestina Prison. Today police teams are searching the house where Svetlana Alexievich lives. From there she writes this Open Letter: (Source: The Union of Belarusian Writers.

“None of my like-minded friends are left in the presidium of the Coordinating Council. All are either in prison or thrown abroad. Today Maxim Znak was taken last. First, our country was stolen, the best of us are kidnapped. But hundreds of others will come to replace those who have been taken away from our ranks. It wasn’t the Coordination Council that rebelled, it was the entire country that raised. I want to repeat what I always say. We were not preparing a coup. We wanted to prevent a split in our country. We wanted a dialogue to start in the society. Lukashenka says he will not talk to the street, but it is not the street – it’s hundreds of thousands of people who go out every Sunday and every day. This is not a street. This is the people. People take to the streets with their young children because they believe they will win. I also want to appeal to the Russian intelligentsia, let’s call it the old custom. Why are you silent? We hear only rare voices in support. Why are you silent when you see a small nation, proud people being trampled? We are still your brothers. And I want to tell my people that I love them. I am proud of them. Here again someone unknown rings the doorbell …”

EWC President Nina George says: “Dictators have always threatened authors, artists and cultural patrons first, because that is where the most intrepid resistance can be expected. We demand the immediate release of the imprisoned poets, writers and translators of PEN Belarus, Hanna Komar, Uladz Liankevich and Siarzh Miadzvedzeu, and the release of the UBW Members, the blogger Pavieḷ Sieviaryniec and Siarhieï Cichanoŭski. With the daily increase in repression against authors, against culture and against demonstrators, the leadership in Belarus is clearly against democracy and dialogue. It is unacceptable that members of the Coordination Council are arrested, interrogated and intimidated, that people are kidnapped in the streets, and that writers and translators are harassed for their right of assembly and for free new elections, as Svetlana Alexievich up to date has to suffer. Europe and the United Nations, must now come to the immediate and decisive aid of the people of Belarus and the democracy movement.”

“It is important for us to make Europe understand what monster we have to fight with and to see what an aggressor country it neighbors”, points out the Chair of the Union of Belarusian Writers, Barys Piatrovich. “The Belarusian people have consolidated and clearly expressed their desire to be with a free Europe and must understand that Europe is also with them.”

The European Writers’ Council

**

  • Read the full statement by Bary Piatrovich on 07/09/2020
  • The situation for writers in Belarus: a restricted life
  • Voices from Belarus: reports from imprisoned demonstrators (content note: violation, sexual abuse, torture)
Previous Post
Frankfurt Book Fair 2020 moves online – exhibitions cancelled
Next Post
International & European Solidarity for Belarus and EWC Member The Union of Belarusian Writers (UBW)

NEWS

Convocation of the EWC-FAEE AISBL Annual General Meeting 2023

February 3, 2023

We are hiring: the EWC is looking for a part-time Administration Officer

January 20, 2023

EWC project #Freeallwords translated text by Nobel Price for Peace Laureate

December 9, 2022

European Day of Languages | #FreeAllWords project

November 26, 2022

Support for Writers from Ukraine and Belarus: The project #FreeAllWords

September 22, 2022

Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the Copyright Ecosystem

September 3, 2022
Retweet on Twitter European Writers' Council Retweeted
eyshans Eystein Hanssen 🏴‍☠️ @eyshans ·
2 Feb

@FreeAllWords publiserer oversatte tekster fra ukrainske og belarusiske forfattere. Prosjektet er i regi av @CouncilWriters, med bidrag fra bla. @FrittOrd, @Kopinor og @Forfatterforb. Sjekk ut ...hjemmesiden her: https://freeallwords.org

Retweet on Twitter European Writers' Council Retweeted
cultcreatorseu Cultural Creators Friendship Group 🇪🇺 @cultcreatorseu ·
1 Feb

In 2022, our #CCFG (co-)hosted or officially supported 7 public events, including with these partners: @le_CNM @MinistereCC @regiongrandest @saabrussels @SportsGroup2024 @Liveurope @ABconcerts ...@Creators_ECSA @Film_directors @CouncilWriters @ScreenwritersEU @EVisual_Artists.

Retweet on Twitter European Writers' Council Retweeted
agstrait Andrew Strait agstrait@someone.elses.computer @agstrait ·
20 Jan

There are also the impacts these systems are having on small rights holders, whose data is often used without their consent, attribution, or compensation. Hence the lawsuits against Midjourney by ...artists, and against OpenAI/Microsoft/Github by coders

https://twitter.com/neilturkewitz/status/1614316534750654465

neil turkewitz @neilturkewitz

NEWS ALERT…

Class action lawsuit filed against Midjourney, StabilityAI (StableDiffusion) & DeviantArt for the unauthorized use of copyright protected works to train their AI systems.

...https://stablediffusionlitigation.com/pdf/00201/1-1-stable-diffusion-complaint.pdf

Retweet on Twitter European Writers' Council Retweeted
andrewyang Andrew Yang🧢⬆️🇺🇸 @andrewyang ·
21 Jan

What impact will ChatGPT have on colleges, the workforce and democracy? Monday on http://andrewyang.com/podcast writer for the Atlantic and author of “The Next Civil War: Dispatches from ...America’s Future” @StephenMarche joins to talk where AI is taking us - whether we like it or not.

Retweet on Twitter European Writers' Council Retweeted
pubperspectives PubPerspectives @pubperspectives ·
8 Jan

From the week: Surveying the Profession(s): How Much Do UK Writers Earn? | @Porter_Anderson https://bit.ly/3WDDnT8 @ALCS_UK @Soc_of_Authors @copyrightcentre @UofGlasgow | A new British survey of ...authors warns of falling incomes and faltering sustainability in writing occupations

Retweet on Twitter European Writers' Council Retweeted
iniurheberrecht Initiative Urheberrecht @iniurheberrecht ·
8 Jan

#KI #Hörbuch Death of the narrator? Apple unveils suite of AI-voiced audiobooks | Apple | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/jan/04/apple-artificial-intelligence-ai-audiobooks

LOAD MORE
EWC
info@europeanwriterscouncil.eu
+32 2 290 92 50
European Writers’ Council
(EWC-FAEE AISBL)
Rue du Prince Royal 85-87
1050 Brussels
Belgium
Get in touch
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
EWC
IMPRINT
PRIVACY POLICY
MEMBERS AREA
Related Links
balticwriterscouncil.info
ceatl.eu
culturalcreators.eu
creativityworks.eu
ifrro.org
plrinternational.com
Current Projects
Free All Words


#FreeAllWords
: Fee and Translation Fund for texts by Authors from Countries under pressure

© 2022 European Writers’ Council | All rights reserved.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. If you continue to use this site, you agree with it. PRIVACY POLICY