Who we are
WHAT IS BASQUE PEN?
The PEN Euskal Bilkura (Basque PEN Club) was established during the 22nd PEN Congress, held in Edinburgh (Scotland) in August 1950. Its primary founders and promoters included Andima Ibiñagabeitia, Jokin Zaitegi, Manuel de Irujo, Jon Mirande, Txomin Peillen, Federico Krutwig, Pierre Lhande, Louis Dassance, Etienne Salaberry, Pierre Larzabal, Jean Diharce, Jean Jauregiberry, and Sebero Altube, among others.
Its headquarters were established at "Etcheperdia" in Biarritz, and the first meeting took place in March 1951 at a building located at 11 Avenue Marceau in Paris. From then on, they operated from that base. The organization’s official day was the Feast of Saint Francis Xavier—December 3rd. It had a short lifespan, lasting only two or three years.
In 1987, a new attempt was made, this time under the name Euskal PEN Kluba (Basque PEN Club). Although 23 prominent writers of the era signed up, a solid structure failed to emerge, and this iteration also lasted only two or three years.
In 2004, the effort to establish the Euskal PEN Kluba was renewed, encouraged by PEN Catalá—which, since 2003, had been actively and strongly denouncing the closure of the newspaper Euskaldunon Egunkaria on the international stage. On April 23, 2004, around 100 writers gathered, and later that same year, the organization received international recognition at the 70th PEN Congress in Tromsø, Norway.
Since then, and to this day, it has been known internationally as Basque PEN.
In 2021, in connection with a book produced by PEN International to mark its centenary, Basque PEN also released a publication summarizing its own whole history.
WHAT IS PEN INTERNATIONAL?
PEN International was founded in 1921 in London (United Kingdom) under the simple name "PEN." Today, it operates across five continents and in more than 100 countries, comprising over 130 centers that safeguard the free transmission of thought—both within individual nations and between all nations.
The acronym "PEN" originally stood for "Poets, Essayists, and Novelists," but today, its membership also includes journalists, translators, editors, and other professionals working in various fields of literature.
PEN is politically independent and maintains informal consultative relations with UNESCO.
PEN operates through its supreme body, the Assembly of Delegates, and five committees: Writers in Prison, Translation and Linguistic Rights, Women Writers, Writers for Peace, and Young Writers.
PEN’s core motto is "Literature knows no borders." All PEN members sign the PEN Charter, which outlines their shared commitment to protecting the free exchange of ideas and promoting the value of literature.
