The 2026 PEN Lecture with Max Porter
Event information
Where: Curtis Auditorium, Herschel Building, Newcastle University
Date: Wednesday 29 April
Time: 6-7:30pm
Cost: £10/£5 (£20 solidarity ticket)
Type: Readers
English PEN’s annual PEN Lecture invites a leading writer to reflect on the current state of free expression, and to explore the resonance – or dissonance – of the words of the PEN Charter, the guiding principles of the organisation, with our current reality. The 2026 PEN Lecture will be delivered by award-winning writer Max Porter, in partnership with New Writing North and NCLA.
In an era of upheaval and conflict, Porter will ask what place the Charter’s principles hold in our society, reflecting particularly on its phrase “in time of peace”. Following this he will be in conversation with award-winning writer and NCLA Director, Preti Taneja.
Max Porter is the award-winning author of books including: Grief is the Thing with Feathers, Lanny and Shy, which was recently adapted for Netflix as the film Steve starring Cillian Murphy.
Book sales by Forum Books.
This event is part of Right to Read, our programme across the North East in 2026 to celebrate the National Year of Reading.