The Freethinker Prize 2019 will be awarded to author Salman Rushdie and director Barbara Miller for their artistic work and their advocacy to an enlightened world, for upholding humanist values and for defending the freedom of art and expression. "We are honoured that both have accepted our prize with delight," says Andreas Kyriacou, President of The Swiss Freethinkers. "We know from Salman Rushdie that he is overwhelmed with price offers and accepts them only very cautiously". The award ceremony will take place on 15 November 2019, from 18.15 in the Rothausbar in Zurich.

*** The event is fully booked. Watch our live stream. ***

Barbara Miller and Salman Rushdie will accept the prize in person. The laudation will be followed by a discussion with the two awardees. The ceremony will be broadcast live on Youtube and Facebook (URLs will be published in advance on free-thought.ch).

In her two films Forbidden Voices and #Female Pleasure, director Barbara Miller has given voice to women who have been oppressed or even abused by governments or religious communities. Both films have played a major role in making these women and their stories known to the general public.

Salman Rushdie's stories inspire us to contemplate, through his novel characters we are invited to think critically about how the world works and we experience the difficulties individuals face, who are torn back and forth between cultures with different value systems. Repeatedly he also takes on the grotesque sides of religious convictions in his stories.

The Swiss Freethinker Award 
The Freethinker Award, endowed with a total of 10,000 Swiss francs, is awarded every two years and will be awarded for the third time this year. It honours the work and commitment of activists, writers and artists to a humanist and open society. In 2017, Iranian-born Masih Alinejad and her organisation My Stealthy Freedom as well as the Kurdish painter and journalist Zehra Doğan, who at the time was imprisoned in Turkey, were honoured. In 2015 the award was given to the three Saudi citizens Ensaf Haidar, Raif Badawi and Waleed Abulkhair. 

About us 
The Swiss Freethinkers (free-thought.ch) promote secular-humanist ethics, in which human rights play a central role. They are committed to the concerns of people without religious beliefs and represent a scientifically plausible world view.

Award ceremony
Friday, 15 November, 6.15-7.30p.m., Rothausbar, Sihlhallenstrasse 1, 8004 Zurich. Free admission. *** The event is fully booked ***

Salman Rushdie will be reading from his new book Quichotte on the same evening at the Volkshaus at 8 p.m. (A few minutes' walk from the Rothausbar).

Barbara Miller will also be our guest on Sunday, 17 November to discuss #Female Pleasure, its effects and her latest project with us. 4.15 p.m. Cinema Stüssihof, 8001 Zurich, film screening, followed by a conversation with the director.

Contacts
Andreas Kyriacou, President Freethinkers Association of Switzerland: 
+ 41 76 575 36 30 / andreas.kyriacou@frei-denken.ch / free-thought.ch

Simone Krüsi, general secretary Freethinkers Association of Switzerland: 
+41 76 805 06 49 / gs@frei-denken.ch / free-thought.ch

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