Prague Writers’ Festival starts

Writers from around the world have converged in Prague for the 19th Prague Writers’ Festival. The festival starts on Sunday and continues until June 11. This year’s eclectic programme seeks to provide a showcase for underground writers from the Arab world, China and the United States. The around 15 guest writers include Chinese born Nobel Prize winner Gao Xingjian. He is a literary dissident who left China in 1987. His works are banned in China. The festival will begin on Sunday with a freedom of expression award being present to Syrian poet Adonis.