Charlie Hebdo Controversial magazine receives PEN award in New York

6 prominent authors boycotted the event, saying it celebrated the magazine's "cultural intolerance".

Controversial satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo yesterday received the freedom of speech award at the PEN Literary Galain New York, in a move that has drawn the ire of several authors including Nigerians Teju Cole and Taiye Selasi

BBC reports that 6 prominent authors boycotted the event, saying it celebrated the magazine's "cultural intolerance".

But PEN president Andrew Solomon defended the award saying:

"The defence of people murdered for their exercise of free speech is at the heart of what PEN stands for. Charlie Hebdo's current staff have persisted, and tonight's award reflects their refusal to accept the curtailment of lawful speech through violence."

On hand at the gala to receive the award were Charlie Hebdo's editor in chief, Gerard Biard and Jean-Baptiste Thoret, a film critic who arrived late for work on the day of their office attack.

The English Patient writer, Michael Ondaatje was one of the high-profile authors who boycotted the award, saying that  PEN, known for defending imprisoned writers, was stepping beyond its traditional role.

Authors Peter Carey, Rachel Kushner, Francine Prose andNigerians Teju Cole and Taiye Selasi also boycotted the event.

Speaking with New York Times, Booker Prize-wining Carey said the boycotting writers felt PEN's role was to protect freedom of expression against government oppression.

According to him,

"A hideous crime was committed, but was it a freedom of speech issue for PEN America to be self-righteous about? All this is complicated by PEN's seeming blindness to the cultural arrogance of the French nation, which does not recognise its moral obligation to a large and disempowered segment of their population."

Over 100 other writers also signed a letter of protest against the award.

But former PEN president, Salman Rushdie has criticised the boycott by the authors saying his friends were "horribly wrong" and he hoped nobody ever came after them.

Rushdie was in hiding for years over Islamist threats in response to his novel The Satanic Verses.