Zdenka Acin is now PEN Canada lecturer-in-residence at George Brown College in Toronto. (PEN Canada)It's been a long road back for journalist Zdenka Acin.

Ten years after she was expelled from Yugoslavia, now Serbia and Montenegro, by warlord Slobodan Milosevic, the former television host has been appointed PEN Canada lecturer-in-residence at George Brown College.

"Milosevic actually expelled me from my homeland and I lost everything I had earned as a high professional person — I lost my career, I lost my homeland and I found a new homeland in Canada," she said Wednesday in an interview with CBC News.

Acin is one of the writers-in-exile helped by PEN Canada, which holds its annual gala to open the International Festival of Authors in Toronto in Toronto Wednesday evening.

PEN is celebrating its 25th anniversary of fighting for freedom of expression around the world.

Acin, host of the television show Press Club, had her show removed from the airwaves three times and was fired from several jobs at magazines for her outspoken brand of journalism.

"The art of good questions is like revealing the other side of the moon, the dark side of the moon," Acin said.

"My questions always were more dangerous than the answers themselves. I always wanted to be provocative. I always wanted to reveal truth which was hidden for political or historical or any other reasons."

But since she was forced into exile in 1998, it's been a struggle for Acin to re-establish herself. She has worked as a journalist, translator and film actor and been an active member of PEN's writers-in-exile network.

The lecturer-in-residence position at George Brown is a chance for her to encourage students to ask tough questions, but is also her first full-time position.

"It was a huge struggle and it took me 10 years to get my first position in Canada, as I have now in George Brown, and I'm really grateful to George Brown and PEN Canada for giving me this opportunity," she said.

Burmese comedian and activist Maung Thura is in jail after criticizing the ruling junta over its response to Cyclone Nargis. (Associated Press)As part of its ceremonies Wednesday, PEN Canada plans to honour Burmese writer Maung Thura with its One Humanity Award.

A comedian and activist who works under the name Zargana, Thura has been arrested many times by the military junta in Burma, also known as Myanmar, and served four years in solitary confinement.

He has been in jail since June 2008, after being arrested for criticizing Burma's response to Cyclone Nargis.

An empty chair will remain on stage during every reading and presentation at the IFOA in honour of Zargana. The empty chair is a longtime collaboration between PEN Canada and the festival to acknowledge a writer who is not free to travel to the literary festival.

Pen's benefit features a talk between Canadian screenwriter Don McKellar and Irish writer Roddy Doyle.

Readings, roundtables and panel discussions at the IFOA begin Thursday and run until Nov. 1.

Among the highlights of the festival are readings by Giller-nominated writers Joseph Boyden, Marina Endicott and Rawi Hage and by selected nominees for the Governor General's Literary Awards.

International authors featured include John Brady, Anne Enright, Colm Toibin and Amitav Ghosh.