ADVERTISING
Afghan author receives protection and work opportunity at PEN Germany
The city of Darmstadt, a center of science and research, has announced that Afghan author Maryam Kishawarz is the new Elsbeth Wolffheim Fellow of the city and PEN Germany. The 22-year-old writer will thus have the opportunity to work freely and without censorship in Darmstadt for one year.
Mayor and Head of Cultural Affairs Hanno Benz emphasizes that Maryam Kishawarz, a literary chronicler of the difficult living conditions in Afghanistan, is coming to Darmstadt. Courage and creativity are her means of combating oppression and injustice. By awarding her the scholarship, the city is actively contributing to ensuring that important voices are heard without censorship.
Writing against censorship and oppression
Maryam Kishawarz began writing literary texts while still in school in Kabul. She was the first student in Afghanistan to receive an ISBN from the Ministry of Education for her non-fiction book "56 Golden Points for Living Happily." In her writing, she depicts the realities of life for Afghan women and men and simultaneously offers paths to personal development.
As a woman and a writer, she was not allowed to express herself freely in her homeland. Even before the Taliban's renewed takeover, her texts were censored in order to be published at all. Now, books by Afghan women authors are being removed from universities, and women are being excluded from the education system.
After fleeing the Taliban, Maryam Kishawarz now lives in exile in Germany. She brought with her previously unpublished manuscripts documenting the situation of women under Taliban rule.
Astrid Vehstedt, Vice President and Writers-in-Exile Coordinator of German PEN, also emphasizes the importance of the program. The Elsbeth Wolffheim Fellowship creates the conditions that ensure the author's work is no longer dictated by censorship and threats. PEN Germany is providing her with close support and looks forward to presenting her work to the public.
Scholarship with a long tradition in Darmstadt
The City of Darmstadt and PEN Germany established the Elsbeth Wolffheim Fellowship in 2004. Its aim is to give exiled writers the opportunity to work on their texts without economic hardship or political pressure.
The scholarship is named after the writer Elsbeth Wolffheim, who died in Darmstadt in 2002 and who was involved for many years in the German PEN for politically persecuted authors.
(DARMSTADT – RED/PSD/dk
Featured image: Maryam Kishawarz, new Elsbeth Wolffheim Fellow of the City of Darmstadt and PEN Germany. Photo: PEN Germany
