Commemorated each year on November 15th, the Day of the Imprisoned Writer is an international observance that honors and advocates for writers who are in prison or persecuted for daring to express their views freely. The Day of the Imprisoned Writer plays a multifaceted role, fostering awareness, advocating for action, extending solidarity, and commemorating the contributions of persecuted writers.
In recognition of the Day of the Imprisoned Writer, we have compiled a list of powerful works of literature penned behind bars, a testament to the indomitable spirit of free expression that no prison can confine.
Letters from Birmingham Jail, by Martin Luther King Jr.
In April 1963, while imprisoned for organizing a nonviolent protest against racial segregation in Birmingham, Alabama, civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. penned an eloquent open letter defending the use of peaceful protest against racism. Within this powerful letter, King famously articulated the now-iconic phrase ‘injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,’ which became a cornerstone of the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.
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Don Quixote, by Miguel de Cervantes
Immersed in debt and confined to the confines of a prison cell, Miguel de Cervantes, the celebrated Spanish writer and military leader of the 17th century, found solace in the boundless
realm of imagination. Within the solitude of his confinement, he gave birth to the prologue of his magnum opus, Don Quixote, a masterpiece that would be hailed as Europe’s first modern
novel. Thus, amidst the harsh realities of imprisonment, Cervantes conjured a fantastical tapestry of knightly adventures and lovelorn maidens, forever entwined with the grandeur of the Spanish landscape.
Pisan Cantos, by Ezra Pound
Composed in 1948 by American expatriate poet Ezra Pound, this lengthy and unfinished poetic work, spanning 120 sections, is widely regarded as one of the most groundbreaking achievements in modern 20th-century poetry. However, few are aware that Pound crafted Cantos LXXIV to LXXXIV while incarcerated by the American forces in the Italian city of Pisa during World War II, following his radio broadcasts endorsing Mussolini’s authoritarian regime.
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Conversations with Myself, by Nelson Mandela
Delving into the heart and mind of South Africa’s former president, Nelson Mandela’s intimate memoir unveils a deeply personal journey through diary entries, notes, and letters penned during his 27-year imprisonment. This profoundly moving collection offers a candid glimpse into the life of one of the world’s most revered leaders.
De Profundis, by Oscar Wilde
Encased within the walls of Reading Gaol, 19th-century Irish playwright and novelist Oscar Wilde
poured his soul into the poignant essay, “De Profundis,” a profound exploration of faith and spirituality. Addressing his former lover, Lord Alfred Douglas, affectionately known as “Bosie,” the first half of the essay delves into the tangled web of relationships that culminated in Wilde’s conviction and imprisonment for gross indecency. The latter half traces his spiritual transformation amidst the confines of prison, culminating in an identification with the figure of Jesus
Christ.
The Travels of Marco Polo, by Rustichello da Pisa
After traversing an arduous journey spanning
24 years and nearly 15,000 miles, the 13th-century Italian merchant Marco Polo returned to Venice to find the city embroiled in a bitter conflict with Genoa. When Genoa captured a Venetian fleet, Polo was among those taken prisoner. During his months of incarceration, Polo regaled his fellow inmate, Rustichello da Pisa, with tales of his extraordinary travels. Da Pisa diligently compiled these accounts, giving rise to the chronicle now renowned as The Travels of Marco Polo. This groundbreaking travelogue unveiled to Europeans the wonders of Central Asia and China, regions previously shrouded in mystery.