News
November 2009
On November 9, 2009 Hong Kong Baptist University awarded UI Professor Emerita Hualing Nieh Engle a honorary doctorate of letters for her lifelong efforts on behalf of Chinese-language literatures. Hualing is shown here with Bi Feiyu (IWP '07), writer in residence at the HK Baptist University.
The 2009 winner of the distinguished Man Asian Literary Prize is Su Tong (IWP '01), for his novel The Boat to Redemption, about a womanizing Party official who castrates himself after being banished to a river barge with his young son just after the tumultuous Cultural Revolution. Previous alumni runners up for the award are Ameena Hussein (IWP '05), Mo Yan (IWP '04), Kavery Nambisan (IWP '07) and Yu Hua (IWP '03).
August 2009
In August of 2009 Hualing Nieh Engle will be received by the Taiwanese president at a commemoration of the philosopher Yin Hai-guang and the Free China Fortnightly, on whose editorial board she sat. The liberal journal, started in 1949, came to be highly critical of Taiwan’s record of democracy and human rights. It was shut down in 1960, with its contributors placed under surveillance or house arrest for years to come.
Subsequently, Mrs. Engle will travel to Kuala Lumpur to receive the Hua Zong International Award for Chinese Writing, given by Sin Chew Daily, Malaysia’s largest Chinese-language newspaper. The award acknowledges her own literary work as well as her contributions to the world-wide reach of modern Chinese-language literature.
July 2009
UI unveils 30 years of interviews with international writers The storied history of the University of Iowa's International Writing Program is now available for the world to hear. "The Peter Nazareth Collection," which consists of 30 years of audio interviews with IWP participants and guests, is digitally archived at digital.lib.uiowa.edu/vwu.
University of Iowa International Writing Program Director Christopher Merrill, president of the UNESCO City of Literature board of directors in Iowa City, will introduce the community to the organization created to carry out the City of Literature mission when he speaks at the first Iowa City Book Festival at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 18 in Shambaugh Auditorium in the UI Main Library. More …
Plans are taking shape in South Africa for a tribute event this September in honor of the 80th birthday of James Matthews (IWP 84). Organizers Two Brothers’ Art and Artscape say ‘Live rAGE’ will celebrate the work of “one of our elder poet-laureates—a living legend amongst an entire generation of South African artists.” The event will involve the interpretation and performance of a selection of James Matthews’ poetry, accompanied by music and dance. A poster with a great picture of James Matthews and a summary of the event, including biographical snippets of the poet’s life, is available here.
Anastassios Denegris (WP '75) Died in Athens - poem by Dilip Chitre
April 2009
John N. Nkengasong (IWP 08) new collection, Letters to Marion (and the Coming Generations) is now available from Michigan State University Press.
The Romanian Orient-Occident Academy has published a volume of the work of Tarek Eltayeb (IWP 08), to complement the International Grand Prize for Poetry he had been awarded at the 2007 International Festival Curtea des Arges in Romania.
Feburary 2009
A dear friend of the IWP, Joanne Hemingway died after a long illness in early February. She and her husband Keith were among the several farming families Paul Engle drafted in the early 1970s to help the visiting writers understand Iowa's rural life and to meet Iowans outside the university's bounds. The Hemingways cooked magnificently, entertained warmly, and answered a million questions. Many a writer had his first chance ever to scratch a piglet behind its ears; that this was at a farm owned by distant relatives of Ernest added a literary thrill. We remain grateful for the family's kindness and generosity, and will always remember Joanne's joyful face. (Obituary)
December 2008
Our condolences, and those of her 2008 IWP fellows, to Ruby Rahman (IWP 2008) whose husband and son fell victim to an apparent political assassination. during her absence.
See also and here.
We mourn our friend and colleague, the Italian novelist Rocco Carbone (IWP 2001), who died in an accident in Rome on July 18, 2008.
October 2008
The South-African novelist Zachariah Rapola (IWP 00) is the recipient of the 2008 Noma Prize, awarded by the prominent Japanese Kodansha House to an African work published in Africa, for his collection Beginnings of Dream
This fall, the shortlist for the distinguished Man Asian Literature Award features two IWP alumni: the Indian novelist Kavery Nambisan (IWP 07) for The Story That Must Not Be Told, and the Chinese novelist Yu Hua (IWP 03) for Brothers.
Rasiah Halil (IWP, 1995) has conveyed the sad news that the Malay writer Masuri Bin Salikun (IWP, 1986) recipient of the Tun Sri Lanang Award and a renowned poet in the field of Malay literature, passed away on 7 December 2005.
September 2008
Three IWP 2008 writers traveled to Pennsylvania to read in JazzPoetry Festival, a part of the annual City of Asylum/Pittsburgh literary festival
August 2008
On 8/23, the State's Commission for the Status of Women marks the life achievement of Hualing Engle, the IWP's co-founder, by inducting her into Iowa Women's Hall of Fame. (Photo: Matthew Holst, Press-Citizen. click for full view)
Roberto Ampuero's new political detective story, El caso Neruda, is appearing this month in a Latin American and a Spanish edition, and in an Italian translation. Ampuero (IWP '96), an internationally popular Chilean novelist, also teaches creative writing in Spanish at UI.
International Writing Program, always unique, swims with the current. The 2008 "United Nations of Writing" -- the 42nd University of Iowa International Writing Program residency by established and emerging writers from all parts of the globe -- will be even more unpredictable than usual as a consequence of the June floods on the UI campus.
IWP co-founder Hualing Nieh Engle selected to the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame. She will be inducted on Aug. 23 in a ceremony at the State Historical Building in Des Moines.
July 2008
The largest award for a Chinese novel, given annually by the Hong Kong Baptist University, went this year to Mo Yan (IWP 04) for
Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out. Translated by Howard Goldblatt, it was published in March 2008 by Arcade Books.
The IWP is delighted to announce the birth of Karim Ungar-Kundus, in Ramallah, West Bank, son of Zahiye Kundus (IWP 2005, Israel) and Antonio Ungar (IWP, 2005, Colombia).
Two IWP alumni, Kavery Nambisan (07) and Yu Hua (03) are on this year's nomination list for the prestigious Asian Man Literary prize
The increased tension in Malaysia is glossed by Eddin Khoo (IWP 2002) in a recent South China Morning Post article.
June 2008
A play by Verena TAY (IWP 07), first written as part of the program's 40th anniversary "Global Play" experiment, was just performed at the Short+Sweet Festival in Singapore. She also has an essay on writing in a recent issue of FEER.
This summer, Ezzat Goushegir (IWP 1990) is having two short plays staged in Chicago and in Denver.
May 2008
The Open World Leadership Center honors Hugh Ferrer, associate director of the IWP in the Library of Congress.
April 2008
The headline in April 22 Saudi Gazette, "Americans amaze Saudi literati," tops the account of the IWP Middle East Reading and Lecture Tour's visit to Jeddah.
A friendly and thoughful write up of Etgar Keret (IWP '01) featured in a recent Guardian Unlimited Arts blog.
Harry Clifton (IWP 85) is the winner of the 2008 Irish Times Poetry Now Award.
www.livehopelove.com, a recent project of Kwame Dawes (IWP 86), gives a face, and voice to people living with HIV/AIDS in Jamaica.
The novel Mahmoud Abu Hashhash (IWP 02) wrote of the siege of Ramallah during the year he visited Iowa has been published in French as Ramallah, mon amour by Galaade Editions
In the most recent issue of Far Eastern Economic Review, Sarge Lacuesta (IWP 07) writes movingly about inter-generational trade in living space.
Two 'Iowa-centric' literary events were organized in Europe in April: the Athens International Literary Festival, thanks to Chris Chrissopoulos (IWP '07), and the "Little Iowa" encounter, part of the Europoetica International Poetry Festival in Budapest, thanks to Istvan Geher (IWP 07).
March 2008
KIM Reon (IWP ‘07) contributed to the most recent issue of Far East Economic Review with an essay on owning a house of her own.
The most recent book by Roberto AMPUERO (IWP ‘96), Los Amantes de Estocolmo (Planeta, 2004), is appearing in Croatia this spring, and Serbia this fall.
February 2008
The IWP joins with friends, colleagues and alumni in wishing Kazuko Shiraishi (IWP, '73) a happy 77th birthday. A photo from the event held recently in Tokyo includes Kazuko (center), Burt Blume (poet and former IWP staff member--far right), and other guests.
Michael Augustin (IWP 1984) has been featured in a “Poem of the Week” post on The Guardian blog
Last updated on
November 21, 2009
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