Only one month following the start of Iran’s civilian uprising, PEN American Center joins forces with The New York Review of Books and 92nd Street Y Unterberg Poetry Center for New York City’s first public discussion about the recent events in this pivotal Middle Eastern country on July 15 at 92Y. Shaul Bakhash, a leading expert on Iran and frequent contributor to The New York Review of Books will moderate a panel including New York Times’ columnist Roger Cohen— who has recently returned to the U.S. from covering the elections —and Iran analysts Haleh Esfandiari (Director of the Middle East Program at the Woodrow Wilson international Center for Scholars, who was imprisoned in Iran in 2007) and Karim Sadjadpour (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington D.C.).

With traditional media shut down (and the masses turning to Twitter), it is increasingly difficult to follow events on the ground and behind the scenes in Iran. What is happening in heavily censored Iran today? And where are today’s events taking this country of 70 million people (two-thirds of whom are under the age of 30)? Do not miss this extraordinary opportunity to hear real stories from the streets and a discussion led by experts on the future of this complex country.

To purchase tickets ($15/$8 for students with ID and PEN members), go to www.smarttix.com or call 212-868-4444.