Ken Filkow Prize

The Canadian photojournalist Amber Bracken has won PEN Canada’s 2022 Ken Filkow Prize for advancing freedom of expression in Canada. Bracken’s work combines an interest in photography, journalism and public service with an emphasis on North American Indigenous communities.

In its citation the jury states: “Amber Bracken‘s ordeal demonstrates that freedom of expression, including freedom of the press, are not as sacrosanct in our country as Canadians might assume. Her courageous work as a photojournalist for The Narwhal magazine, covering the Coastal Gaslink protests in Wet’suwet’en territory in northern BC, resulted in her [and her colleague, documentary filmmaker, Michael Toledano’s] improper arrest and detention. Amber’s story is a case study of the need to protect these fundamental freedoms even in Canada.”