The culture of the peoples of the world has always been historically interconnected and developed, and this has contributed to the acquisition of high moral values. Eastern and Western cultures, which are characterized as the two poles of world culture, have reached the modern civilized stage and developed as a result of mutual connection and influence.

International Writers’ Day occurs every year on March 3rd. The celebration was initiated by PEN International, a worldwide association that gathers professional writers specialized in various genres of literature. The idea of an international union of writers was first suggested by the English writer Catherine Amy Dawson Scott (Mrs C.A. Dawson Scott). PEN was founded in London in 1921. Scott envisioned a club which would connect writers not only in London, or even Britain, but worldwide, to create a “common meeting ground in every country for all writers.” The acronym behind the P.E.N. Club, as it was then known, was a testament to its broad scope: Poets, Playwrights, Editors, Essayists and Novelists alike were all welcomed with open arms. Scott’s hopes of establishing an international network of writers were swiftly realized. Within three years of English PEN’s founding there were 19 PEN clubs around the world. The first meeting of what would become the annual PEN Congress was held in London in May 1923, and was attended by representatives from 11 countries. In 1926, PEN club operated in only 25 countries. But nowadays organization is a federation of clubs consisting of 145 autonomous centres in more than 140 countries, each with a PEN Centre and its own rules. With an ever-growing number of members worldwide, it became necessary to establish some guiding principles for the organization, and the first version of the PEN Charter – drafted by the founding President of English PEN John Galsworthy – was passed at the 1927 Congress in Brussels.

The 48th International Congress of PEN was held from 12 to 18 January 1986. By decision of this congress, 3 March was declared International Writers’ Day. By that time, there were PEN centres in more than a hundred countries around the world.

Since its inaugural meeting in 1923, the PEN International Annual Congress has evolved into an annual convergence of writers worldwide. It has hosted 89 congresses, with 100 Centres from over 100 countries, bringing together up to 400 writers and opinion-makers. In total, the PEN International Congress has more than 20,000 members. The official languages of PEN International Congresses are English, French and Spanish. Translation into these three languages is the responsibility of the centre hosting the PEN International Congress. More than just the Annual General Meeting, congress serves as a pivotal platform for the global PEN community to engage in discussions on contemporary issues, literature, and freedom of expression.

The annual PEN Congress offers an opportunity for the entire PEN community to gather and speak about work, strategise and adopt policy positions, exchange experiences and ideas, celebrate writing in all its forms, and simply catch up with old and new friends and colleagues.

The Charter of PEN International have been prepared on the basis of the resolutions proposed and adopted at the PEN International Congresses. 
PEN affirms:

1. Literature knows no frontiers and must remain common currency among people in spite of political or international upheavals.

2. In all circumstances, and particularly in time of war, works of art, the patrimony of humanity at large, should be left untouched by national or political passion.

3. Members of PEN should at all times use what influence they have in favour of good understanding and mutual respect between nations and people; they pledge themselves to do their utmost to dispel all hatreds and to champion the ideal of one humanity living in peace and equality in one world.

4. PEN stands for the principle of unhampered transmission of thought within each nation and between all nations, and members pledge themselves to oppose any form of suppression of freedom of expression in the country and community to which they belong, as well as throughout the world wherever this is possible. PEN declares for a free press and opposes arbitrary censorship in time of peace. It believes that the necessary advance of the world towards a more highly organised political and economic order renders a free criticism of governments, administrations and institutions imperative. And since freedom implies voluntary restraint, members pledge themselves to oppose such evils of a free press as mendacious publication, deliberate falsehood and distortion of facts for political and personal ends.

5. Membership of PEN is open to all qualified writers, editors and translators who subscribe to these aims, without regard to nationality, ethnic origin, language, colour or religion.

The full name of this holiday is World Writer’s Day of Peace and is celebrated not only by writers but also considered a professional holiday of all representatives of the “forth power”. The main purpose of celebrating this important date throughout the world is to counter the negative aspects of the “fourth power” – democratic press, to call for avoiding false articles, deliberate distortions, deliberate falsification of facts or concealment of the truth for the sake of political, group and personal interests.

PEN club Azerbaijan was registered with the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 1994 and started its activities in the same year. The first president of the club became a prominent screenwriter and director Magsud Ibrahimbayov. People’s writer Chingiz Abdullayev, secretary of the Azerbaijan Writers’ Union, who has been vice-president of PEN club for many years since 2011, was later elected president of the organization. The aims and objectives of PEN club, which operates worldwide, are also based in Azerbaijan.

Another goal of PEN International in the country is to promote Azerbaijani writers in countries around the world. The members of the club are the most talented, prominent and active writers.

Recommended literature:

1. Xəlilzadə, Flora. Yazıçılar təşkilatının rəhbərləri / F. Xəlilzadə ; red. A. Əmrahoğlu. - Bakı : Nurlan, 2009. - 92 s.
2. Azərbaycan Yazıçılar Birliyi - 75 = Союз Писателей Азербайджана - 75 / tərt.-müəl. N. İbrahimov, red. Ç. Abdullayev. - Bakı : Letterpress, 2009. - 264 s.
3. Mehdiyeva, Nisbət Canməmməd qızı. Azərbaycan yaradıcılıq ittifaqlarının mədəniyyətin inkişafı sahəsində fəaliyyəti (1960-1980-ci illər): [monoqrafiya] /N. C. Mehdiyeva ; red. T. H. Musayeva. - Bakı: Mütərcim, 2014. - 310 s.
4. Əhmədov, Teymur Əkbər oğlu. Azərbaycan yazıçıları : XX-XXI yüzillikdə: ensiklopedik məlumat kitabı / T. Ə. Əhmədov ; red. N. Qurbanova. - Təkmilləşdirilimiş IV nəşri. - Bakı : Nurlar NPM, 2011. - 1056 s.