“Soul Child”: A Parent’s Legacy

Co-Presented By Royal Norwegian Consulate General and Villa Albertine

All PEN World Voices Festival tickets are non-refundable. Please confirm the time and location of your event before finalizing your purchase.

The examples a parent sets—lessons both said and unsaid—can cast a long shadow, informing their children’s visions of history, art, literature, and self, among much else. Vigdis Hjorth’s “precise and affecting” Is Mother Dead? “deftly conveys the psychological warfare of familial conflict” (The New York Times). In Jakuta Alikavazovic’s Like A Sky Inside, an overnight stay in the Louvre provokes the narrator to recollect her childhood visits to the museum with her father. In Amitava Kumar’s “deeply human” (The New Yorker) My Beloved Life, a man’s life is recounted first in the third person and then through the specificity of his daughter’s recollection after his death. The three authors join to discuss their books that wrestle with a parent’s lasting influence, in memory and in life.

The 2024 PEN World Voices Festival, the 20th anniversary of the festival, will be a celebration of world literature and free expression. Over four days, over 100 writers from nearly 30 countries will be featured in engaging talks, panels, readings, and performances in New York City and greater Los Angeles.

Visit for more information about the entire festival, as well as PEN America.

Joe's Pub is a fully ADA accessible venue.

ASL interpretation is available for this event by request only. Please reach out to our Box Office team at [email protected] by April 21st to request.

Please ask a Box Office Attendant or festival representative upon arrival for directions to accessible seating if preferred.

For further information on accessibility in this space, or to make a request, please contact [email protected]

While not required, per public health official guidelines, the World Voices Festival recommends being fully vaccinated, and wearing masks in all public indoor settings as a precaution against the spread of Covid-19, as well as around crowds.

If you are feeling unwell, please do not come to the event. Reach out to [email protected] for assistance if you have already purchased a ticket.

We thank you for ensuring our speakers, guests and venue workers feel safe and comfortable at all World Voices Festival events. If you have questions or concerns please contact [email protected]

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Joe's Pub, 425 Lafayette Street, New York, United States