Le Cool- 10-16 April '08

Festival PEN
If you live for literature and would love the chance to converse and debate with great writers, poets and playwrights from across the world then the International PEN festival would be a great place to be this weekend. The festival’s theme this year is The Writer Next Door and there will be several events at venues across London including a free showcase of young writers of tomorrow on the 12 & 13 April. The opening event will be at the National Theatre featuring Egyptian author, Alaa Al Aswany best known for ‘The Yacoubian Building’, an Arabic bestseller set in modern-day Cairo, likened to Armistead Maupin’s ‘Tales of the City’. The festival will also have international poets, Yang Lian and Tze Ming Mok at the Southbank Centre on 12 April and playwright, Hassan Abdulrazzak at The Old Vic on 13 April. However, if you don’t get a chance to attend the individual sessions there will be a highlight of the festival, the Festival in a Thimble at The Cut Bar, Young Vic on Sunday at 3pm. / Sophie Khan

where
Varies - see website

when
11-13 April

how much
Varies - see website