Writing for Their Lives: Moazzam Begg and Death Row USA

bristol | miscellaneous | event notice Monday June 23, 2008 13:45 by Nick Thomas - The Pierian Centre info at pieriancentre dot com The Pierian Centre, 27 Portland Square, St Pauls, Bristol BS2 8SA 0117 924 4512

Dr Marie Mulvey-Roberts of UWE brings a very contemporary double bill of prison writing to the Pierian Centre.

Tuesday 8th July sees a twin focus on writing about imprisonment. Moazzam Begg, one of nine Britons detained at Guantanamo Bay, talks about his experiences and signs copies of his book, and actors perform readings from an anthology of writings by Death Row prisoners.

Moazzam Begg

The worlds of literature and the prison cell have enjoyed a fruitful relationship stretching back to John Bunyan, Oscar Wilde and Jean Genet. On the evening of Tuesday 8th July Dr Marie Mulvey-Roberts of UWE brings a very contemporary double bill of prison writing to the Pierian Centre in St Pauls with support from the Human Rights Unit at UWE.

Moazzam Begg was tortured and subjected to death threats during the 3 years he was held without trial at Bagram airbase and Guantanamo Bay. His book, Enemy Combatant, is an insider’s account of the experience of being swallowed alive by the “War on Terror”. Moazzam will sign copies of his book – and will talk about the events of those years, and their implications for civil liberties and inter-community relations.

Writing for their Lives: Death Row USA is an anthology edited by Dr Marie Mulvey-Roberts. Extracts from this “powerful, compassionate and harrowing” collection will be performed by actor Samuel Griffiths and playwright/director Peter Cann, writer-in-residence at UWE. Writing for their Lives exposes little-known facts about the five modes of execution practiced in the United States, and eloquently describes the brutality and boredom of Death Row. But what also emerges are stories of the survival of the human spirit under even the most unimaginable circumstances. Marie Mulvey-Roberts will be present to sign copies of the book.

The event starts at 7pm on Tuesday 8th July. Entry is free – and donations are welcomed to Cageprisoners, a charity devoted to raising awareness of the plight of the prisoners held as part of the War on Terror. It takes place at the Pierian Centre, 27 Portland Square, St Pauls, Bristol BS2 8SA. Parking is available right outside – free after 6pm.

Writing for Their Lives