We are now accepting nominations for the Freedom Of Expression Awards, Index on Censorship’s spring gathering of free expression heroes, advocates and supporters. The Freedom of Expression Awards celebrate our right to know and tell, and to recognise that this, of all human rights, is the one so often in the balance in democracies, so often the first victim of intolerance and poor legislation. As an event it provides an annual snap shot of the state of play for freedom of thought and speech, protest and dissent, around the world. When looking through the list of past recipients and nominees (here) I am reminded of that over-quoted line of Milan Kundera’s: ‘The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting.’

The awards short lists are like book marks in recent history, reminding us of so many nearly forgotten struggles, so many gutsy protestations buried in the white noise of the mainstream media. The awards help get these stories back to the surface, and offer the messengers some support, and a day to celebrate their accomplishments.

To find out how you can nominate your free expression heroes of in the book, film, whistleblower, journalism, new media, and law and campaigning categories click here.