Bangladeshi writer Abdullah Al Imran selected for 'Voices of Freedom' by PEN Canada

Bangladeshi journalist and author Abdullah Al Imran has been selected to represent Bangladesh at the 10th edition of 'Voices of Freedom', the prestigious international reading series organised by PEN Canada.

The event will take place on 12 November at Toronto Reference Library.

A part of PEN Canada's Writers in Exile program, Voices of Freedom celebrates writers whose work embodies creativity, courage, and the struggle for free expression. This year's lineup includes Atefeh Khademolreza, an Iranian filmmaker and writer; Onder Deligoz, a Turkish novelist and editor; Andersson Boscan, an Ecuadorian journalist and media founder; and Abdullah Al Imran from Bangladesh. The session will be moderated by Mexican journalist and press-freedom advocate Luis Horacio Najera, says a press release.

According to PEN Canada, Imran is the first Bangladeshi writer invited to the series. He will begin his reading in Bengali before presenting an excerpt from 'Living by Writing the Truth', which reflects his journey from Khulna to Toronto and his pursuit of justice through journalism and literature.

Imran has worked with different Bangaldeshi news media. After moving to Canada, he completed an internship at the Investigative Journalism Bureau (IJB) at the University of Toronto and later joined CBC's popular investigative program The Fifth Estate. His writing explores themes of truth, human rights, and freedom across borders.

Alongside journalism, Imran is the author of six novels, a short story collection, and a book of political interviews, all widely read in Bangladesh. Writing in both English and Bengali, his work explores justice, human rights, genocide, and South Asian politics, according to PEN Canada website.

Now in its tenth edition, Voices of Freedom stands as one of Canada's leading literary forums highlighting writers who have endured censorship, exile, or persecution, the press release adds.