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Michael Arditti, Amanda Craig, Morris Farhi – here are three writers not afraid to tackle serious issues: racism and homophobia, the right to die, the meaning of art, the absurdity of cycles of vengeance, faith and religion – and much more. Their novels are gripping, provocative and thought provoking. They will discuss the role of literature and its impact on our lives. Chaired by Nina Caplan.

Author Terence Blacker takes an eye-opening, foot-tapping journey through 100 years of politically incorrect music as part of the guitar duo Something Happened. Delving into the back catalogues of jazz, country, folk, bluegrass and pop, Blacker, his musical partner Derek Hewitson and contemporary diva Victoria Hart offer a shamelessly cheerful celebration of the outrageous, the ill-considered and the downright inappropriate.

Three Streets in the Country (60 mins) is a subjective history of the London suburbs written by Michael Frayn and directed by Dennis Marks.

English PEN protests the one-year prison sentence handed down to Peruvian “Nor Oriente” editor Alejandro Carrascal Carrasco on 12 January 2010 for alleged “aggravated defamation” of a local official. There were a number of apparent irregularities in the trial and it is widely believed that Carrascal’s conviction is in retaliation for his criticism of the authorities.

The panel of four leading writers, Al Alvarez – arguing for John Donne, Rowan Pelling, Deborah Moggach – arguing for Arnold Bennett, and Hardeep Singh Kohli – arguing for Ian Rankin, will each make an impassioned case for their favourite authors, but their fates are in your hands. Chaired by Jonathan Heawood.

Impunity is an urgent issue facing press freedom campaigners. Joel Simon of the Committee to Protect Journalists outlines a roadmap for action and reflects on the first year and a half of the CPJ’s global campaign against impunity, as multiple challenges are being faced by free expression in the Russian Federation, Philippines, Latin America and elsewhere in the world.

Reuters and Global Voices launch a new award to recognise campaigners for freedom of expression online. The Breaking Borders Award will reward the use of online tools by individuals, campaign groups and government groups to promote and protect freedom of expression.

As part of the Centre for Investigative Journalism Investigative Film Week, producer Tracy Worcester and associate producer Alastair Kenneil will discuss how to avoid libel and lawsuits when conducting investigations after a screening of their film Pig Business. The documentary charts the four-year investigation into the industrialisation of pig farming.

In a talk chaired by LSE Director Howard Davies, Lee Bollinger, President of Columbia University, will present his new book ‘Uninhibited, Robust, and Wide-Open: A Free Press for new Century‘ and discuss the freedoms of speech and the press.