Tompkins County Public Library

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Library, Ithaca City of Asylum to Celebrate Freedom to Read

The Tompkins County Public Library and Ithaca City of Asylum will present, “Voices of Freedom,” featuring human rights activist and award-winning journalist Sonali Samarasinghe September 30 at 2 p.m. in the Library’s BorgWarner Community Room.

"Voices of Freedom” is an annual event designed to celebrate Freedom to Read Week. This year, Samarasinghe, the fifth writer to be supported by ICOA, will read from her work about the events that led her to seek exile from her native Sri Lanka and discuss the role of journalism in effecting world change.

A lawyer, editor and journalist specializing in government corruption and human rights, Samarasinghe—amidst threats for the safety of her family--fled Sri Lanka following the 2009 assassination of her husband, well-known attorney, publisher and activist Lasantha Wickrematunge.  Her residency is being supported through an appointment as Visiting Scholar in Residence within Ithaca College’s Honors Program in the School of Humanities and Sciences.

Since arriving in the United States, Samarasinghe has established The Lanka Standard, http://www.lankastandard.com, a website devoted to the unbiased reporting of Sri Lankan events and freedom for the country’s media.  During her stay, she will teach at Ithaca College and has plans to work on a book about the recent history of Sri Lanka’s media and government.

The ICOA works with Ithaca College, Wells College and Cornell University to provide sanctuary to writers whose works are suppressed, whose lives are threatened, whose cultures are vanishing and whose languages are endangered.  Formed as part of an international network of cities of refuge, the group welcomed its first resident writer, poet and essayist Yi Ping (China) in 2001; its second, playwright and novelist Reza Daneshvar (Iran) in 2004; its third, poet and memoirist Sarah Mkhonza (Swaziland) in 2006; and its fourth, poet and playwright Irakli Kakabadze (Georgia) in 2008. 

The Library event is free and open to the public; refreshments will be served.

For more information, contact Carrie Wheeler-Carmenatty at (607) 272-4557 extension 248 or cwheeler@tcpl.org.

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