Guantánamo Diary: An Evening of Reading and Conversation

Montclair State University’s Alexander Kasser Theatre at 1 Normal Avenue, Montclair, NJ 07043

Register for tickets here. 

Together with Montclair State University’s School of Communication and Media, PEN presents an encore of its successful Guantánamo Diary event.

With Deborah Eisenberg, Joshua Ferris, Emily St. John Mandel, D.T. Max, Francine Prose, Elissa Schappell, Wally Shawn, Lemon Andersen, and a panel discussion featuring  Nancy Hollander and Larry Siems, moderated by Leonard Lopate.

A public reading and conversation marking the release of the first and only diary written by a current Guantánamo detainee. On Monday, April 27, PEN American Center and Montclair State University will present this captivating public reading and conversation to mark the publication of Mohamedou Ould Slahi’s Guantánamo Diary (Little, Brown & Company).

The first and only diary by a still-imprisoned Guantánamo detainee to be released publicly, Guantánamo Diary is an authoritative first-hand account of imprisonment, torture, and day-to-day human interactions in the world’s most infamous detention camp. Three years into his captivity, Slahi began a diary to recount both his life before he was seized by the United States and his experiences as a detainee. His diary is not merely a vivid record of a miscarriage of justice, but a deeply personal memoir—terrifying, darkly humorous, and surprisingly gracious. His attorneys fought for seven years to have the manuscript declassified and cleared for public release, yet some sections remained redacted in the published edition.

A document of historical importance, Guantánamo Diary was released simultaneously around the world on January 20, 2015 and formed the basis of an international and ongoing campaign to free Slahi.

Tickets to this event are free! Register here.