Mubanga Kalimamukwento, Coco Khan and Ali Said discuss what it means to be silenced, to be censored and, more importantly, what it means to break free.

Our panellists have all contributed to Aidan Shaw’s Penis, a collection of stories of censorship from around the world. From London, Cape Town, Manchester, USA, Chile, Iran, Zambia and Nigeria the stories reach across age, gender, race, sexuality, nationality, style and tone.

Khan, who helped judge the open call for the collection and wrote the introduction, says: ‘Censorship is not just a matter for artists and agitators, reactionaries and revolutionaries, but for every single person daring to speak, act or indeed exist publicly.’

In ‘Aidan Shaw’s Penis’, the title story of the anthology, Said has written a moving memoir where we meet the officials in the UAE whose job it is to preserve the moral purity of the nation by literally blacking out material they deem inappropriate, woven with vignettes of Said’s own life filled with other censors, including himself as he obscures his own sexuality.

Kalimamukwento’s story is entitled ‘Reflections’ and sees protagonist Twaambo (which translated literally means talk) the centre of conflict between her parents as they talk about their child’s gender identity.

Join our panel as they discuss the stories, interrogate censorship and those who enforce it.

Aidan Shaw’s Penis and Other Stories of Censorship From Around The World is published by Imprint 27. Buy a copy from Waterstones, our bookselling partners.

This event is in association with Arts Council England and English PEN.

It’s important to us that ideas and debate are affordable to everyone. It’s also important that our commentators, artists, writers, poets and thinkers are paid. This is a Pay What You Can event. You are invited to choose your own contribution to the event, from £0 to £8. All proceeds go towards supporting our speakers and sustaining Bristol Ideas. The option to attend for free is available for all online events.

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