Liao Yiwu, author of The Corpse Walker, and other true stories of life in China, was scheduled to attend the Sydney Writers' Festival later this month. Chinese authorities have since barred him from leaving the country.

Liao Yiwu is a Chinese poet, novelist, and screenwriter. In 1989, he published an epic poem, ‘Massacre’, that condemned the killings in Tiananmen Square and for which he spent four years in prison. In 2007, he received a Freedom to Write Award from the Independent Chinese PEN Centre.

We’re deeply disappointed that Liao Yiwu has been prevented from visiting Australia. You can read more on the Sydney Writers' Festival website.