Open letter from over a thousand writers from around the world calling for an immediate end to the war

More than a thousand writers from around the world have expressed solidarity with Ukrainian writers, journalists, artists and people by signing the open letter of the literary association PEN International, through which they condemn the Russian invasion and call for an immediate end to the war, bloodshed.

Written in English, it was also published in Ukrainian, Russian and Arabic.

"To our friends and colleagues in Ukraine. We, writers around the world, are appalled by the violence unleashed by Russian forces against Ukraine and urgently call for an end to the bloodshed,“ the letter begins. ”We are united in our condemnation of a senseless war, led by President Putin’s refusal to accept the rights of the Ukrainian people to discuss their future allegiance and history without Moscow’s interference. We are united in support of writers, journalists, artists and the entire Ukrainian people, who are experiencing their darkest moments. We stand by you and feel your pain. All individuals have the right to peace, free expression and free assembly. Putin’s war is an attack on democracy and freedom not only in Ukraine, but throughout the world."
"We remain united in calling for peace,“ he concludes, ”and an end to propaganda that fuels violence. There can be no free and secure Europe without a free and independent Ukraine. Peace must prevail."

PEN Ukraine together with PEN Belarus, the Polish PEN Club and the Open Culture Foundation is also organizing a public fundraiser in support of Ukraine’s creative community.

The signatories of the open letter include Margaret Atwood, Orhan Pamuk, Salman Rushdie, Paul Auster, Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa, Svetlana Alexievich and Olga Tokarczuk who were awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Open letter from over a thousand writers from around the world calling for an immediate end to the war

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