"The Writer, Human Rights and Tradition" is the topic of the Feb. 20 University Forum lecture.

Syl Cheney-Coker, a renowned poet and novelist, was forced to flee his Sierra Leone homeland after he became an outspoken critic of its military rule. He settled in Las Vegas after an International Parliament of Writer's program designated the city the first official American refuge for authors driven from their homelands for expressing unpopular views. He will speak about his personal experiences as well as his views of the world since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The presentation will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Barrick Museum Auditorium at UNLV. It is free and open to the public.

The University Forum lecture series is sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and is underwritten by The Jerry Kalafatis Lodge Charitable Foundation and the UNLV Foundation.

For more information on the series, call 895-3401 or send an e-mail to: forum@nevada.edu.