Golden Pen for Josephine Pullein-Thompson

It’s that time of the year when many of us in London — and, I suspect, all over Britain — have to juggle their evening commitments. But I was glad to be able to slot in both the AGM and the Christmas Party of English PEN between the university and the BBC World Service’s 75th anniversary bash tonight, not least so I could see Josephine Pullein-Thompson receive this year’s Golden Pen award for lifetime service to literature. Generations of teenage girls have thrilled to Josephine’s pony books, while amongst fellow writers she is best known for having steered English PEN through sometimes difficult years, first as General Secretary and later as President. It is a much bigger, better endowed and more professional organisation these days, but in her witty and playful acceptance speech Josephine brought many nostalgic smiles to those of us who remember the old days in Dilke Street, when Josephine and Lettice Cooper used to prepare the meals for guest speakers themselves, and there was chummy joshing in the snug bar at the Sketch Club. PEN’s events now bring in a much wider public, and its campaigning work on behalf of imprisoned and persecuted writers around the world has expanded considerably. But it would never have achieved all this if Josephine had not been there to keep the ship afloat, and chivvy her loyal and committed band of volunteers into action.