The 70th World Congress in Tromso, Norway
The 70th World Congress of the International P.E.N. was held 6th–12th September 2004 in Tromso, Norway. The Macedonian delegation was consisted of Mr. Ermis Lafazanovski, secretary of the Macedonian P.E.N. Centre, and Mrs. Kata Kulavkova, an honorary vice–president of the Macedonian P.E.N. and the chair of the Translation and Linguistic rights Committee of the International P.E.N.. The general theme of the Congress was Writers in Exile - Writers in Minority Languages. As a replacement of Mr. Terry Carlbom, for a new International Secretary Mrs. Joanne Lidom – Ackerman from the West American P.E.N. Centre was elected. Among other elections, Mrs. Clarine Clark was elected president of the Writers in Exile Committee. The official confirmation of the three new P.E.N. Centres: Basque, Guatemalan and Kosovo P.E.N. also took place at this Congress. There was a decision that the next P.E.N. World Congress will be held in Bled, Slovenia, 14th – 21st June 2005.
The Macedonian delegation was actively involved in the work of this Congress. The former International Secretary, Mr. Terry Carlbom, positively evaluated the 7th Ohrid P.E.N. Conference and the work of the Translation and Linguistic Rights Committee until June 2004. He participated at the 7th Ohrid Conference, and, together with all the other international representatives received an invitation for the upcoming 8th Ohrid event planned for September 2005.
During the Congress the regular Meeting on the work of the Translation and Linguistic Rights Committee, chaired by Mrs. Kata Kulavkova also took place.
