PRESS RELEASE - CANADA
6 October 2005
Writer and journalist Paul William Roberts winner of inaugural PEN
Canada/Paul Kidd Courage Award
SOURCE: PEN Canada, Toronto
(PEN Canada/IFEX) - The following is a 5 October 2005 PEN Canada press
release:
Toronto, October 5, 2005 - Journalist, author and academic Paul William
Roberts is the winner of a new award honouring courage in journalism.
The PEN Canada/Paul Kidd Courage Award is named after the late Canadian
journalist, who was one of Canada's first globe-trotting foreign
correspondents. Kidd filed reports from more than 70 countries, braving
street violence, gunfire, terrorism and arrest from political regimes
infuriated by his insistence on getting and reporting the truth. Kidd died
in 2002.
"We think that the awarding of the prize to Paul William Roberts is an
excellent and appropriate choice," said writer Judy Creighton, the widow of
Paul Kidd. "Roberts's writings accurately reflect his bravery in getting the
word out."
The selection committee for the PEN Canada/Paul Kidd Courage Award noted
that Roberts more than met the criteria for receiving the award: a Canadian
journalist or one working for a Canadian media outlet; someone who has made
a contribution to writing or broadcasting; someone whose work has
demonstrated a willingness to put his or her career on the line in the
tenacious pursuit of a story; and a self-starter who has had the courage to
be unique and take an independent viewpoint.
Roberts is the author of six books and dozens of articles. He has written
for many magazines and newspapers, including The Toronto Star, Harper's,
Toronto Life, The Globe and Mail and The Washington Post. His books include
A War against Truth and The Demonic Comedy, which deal with his time
covering both wars in Iraq and the perils that he faced in documenting
events on the ground there.
The award will be presented at PEN Canada's fall gala event, "Lives of Girls
and Women", on October 20 in Toronto. The fundraiser will open the
International Festival of Authors at Harbourfront, where such leading lights
of the arts community as Alice Munro, Dionne Brand, Adrienne Clarkson,
Ann-Marie MacDonald and Deepa Mehta will take to the stage in support of PEN
Canada's freedom of expression work.
A gala dinner at the Great Hall of Hart House, on the campus of the
University of Toronto, will follow. Many artistic luminaries, as well as
leading figures in politics and the business world, will be in attendance
for a memorable evening of conversation, music and dancing.
Tickets to the readings only are $35 each. Tickets to both events cost $250
and are eligible for a $150 tax receipt. All proceeds to benefit PEN Canada.
To purchase tickets to the gala, please contact Caitlin Smith (x25), e-mail:
csmith@pencanada.ca. For further information, please contact David Cozac
(x24), PEN Canada, 24 Ryerson Ave., Suite 214, Toronto, ON, M5T 2P3 Canada,
tel: +1 416 703 8448, fax: +1 416 703 3870, e-mail: dcozac@pencanada.ca,
Internet: http://www.pencanada.ca/
The information contained in this press release is the sole responsibility
of PEN Canada. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please
credit PEN Canada.
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