is the author of Flowering Bullets, which was a runner-up for the 1998 Association of Nigeria Author prize for poetry. He has contributed poems to three anthologies—Trembling Leaves (1999), Cramped Rooms & Open Spaces (1999), and 25 New Nigerian Poets (2000)—and is the featured author of Nejma 4: The Writings of Sunny Ayewanu. Mr. Ayewanu is the president of the Association of West African Young Writers, one of Nigeria’s oldest literary associations. He is participating courtesy of the U.S. Department of State.
has written thirteen books about, in his words, “the daily life of village people and what they are fighting for.” A former magazine and newspaper editor, and a founding member of four magazines as well as the Lao Writers Association, Mr. Bounthanong is at work on a new novel about a young woman who leaves the rice fields to face life in the city. He is participating courtesy of the U.S. Department of State.
(toh-mahs boot-kooss; poet; Lithuania b. 1975, Klaipeda) is an architect who gradutated in 1999 from Vilnius Gedimino Technical University with a Masters of Science Degree. Under the penname Slombas, he has authored numerous translations and original collections of poetry, his most recent being Kas Bos Parasyta Kaip Siandien (How Today Will Be Written, 2001). He is also a bookmaker, designer, and editor-publisher at “Vario Burnos” (Copper Mouths, 1992 – ) which Mr. Butkus calls “a workshop of concepts.” With his sister, and friends in the trade, he publishes poetry chapbooks. The latest was The Frankfurt Chapbooks, a set of 10 poetry chapbooks by Lithuanian poets. His residence is the “Amber-chamber,” on the outskirts of Klaip_da, and he is participating in the program courtesy of the U.S. Department of State.
is a writer quickly gaining international recognition. He has had five plays produced, most recently an adaptation of Charles Dickens' The Pickwick Papers . His novel Observatory Mansions, a finalist for the Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Prize, is appearing in ten different countries. This novel, and his new novel Alva and Irva (2003), contain original artwork by the author.
has won awards for his fiction and critical work and is a two-time recipient of the Colombian National Poetry Prize. He has translated Shakespeare, writes regular columns on film for several magazines, and is soon to publish both a novel, La Sombra del Incantropo (The Werewolf’s Shadow), and a volume of poetry, Escrito en el Tiempo (Written in Time). He is participating courtesy of the U.S. Department of State.
; fiction writer; Ghana b. 1956, Koforidua) is the author of the critically acclaimed Beyond the Horizon. The Housemaid , the second of her titles to appear in English, was published in the African Writers Series in 1998, the same year that she won the Ghana Book Award. A former Fellow at the Cambridge Seminars, Ms. Darko has recently contributed “The Color of Poverty” (2001) to a collection by Amnesty International-Germany. She is participating courtesy of the National Resource Center for International Studies and the University of Iowa.
is highly regarded both as a short-story writer and as a translator, having published many translations of works by Nobel Prize-winning writers, as well as collections of his own short stories and poems. Mr. Diwakar is a book reviewer for the prestigious Indian Review of Books, and an editor in the Office of Public Affairs at the American Consulate in Chennai. He is participating courtesy of the South Asia Studies Program at the University of Iowa and the University of Iowa.
has written more than ten original plays for adults, two adaptations, and six children’s plays, almost all of which have been published by the distinguished magazines Playwright and Modern Playwriting. The plays Forever and Ever (1996) and The Red-Haired Play (2000) were both short-listed for the Anti-Booker prize, the latter forming the basis for a television film. She is participating courtesy of the Trust for Mutual Understanding.
is director of the Bienvenido N. Santos Creative Writing and Research Center at De La Salle University. She is the recipient of the Philippines 1987 and 1999 National Book Awards for Poetry; her books include Dreamweavers: Selected Poems 1976-1986 (1987); Ochre Tones: Poems in English and Cebuano (1999); and, most recently, A Life Shaped by Music (2001). She is participating courtesy of the U.S. Department of State.
is a professor at Diego Portales University, a regular contributor to well-known magazines, and a dynamic promoter of poetry, and the winner, in 2002, of the prize “El Vina Y La Poesia,” sponsored by Fundación Pablo Neruda and El Mercurio Newspaper. Besides his three collections of poetry, he has edited the Anthology of Chilean Poetry (1999), and surveyed his country’s poetic landscape in his Panorama of Modern Chilean Poetry (2001). He is participating courtesy of the U.S. Department of State.
is the editor of Egoist Magazine, and the author of several screenplays, including Truth or Dare (2001) which won the national contest for Best Screenplay on Channel One. More than fifty of her poems, short stories, and essays have appeared in literary magazines and other periodicals. She is participating courtesy of the U.S. Department of State.
is currently finishing his studies in French language and literature in Sarajevo. He has translated French novels by Rachid Mimouni and Kenize Mourad, and written a short story collection to be published later this year. He has also written plays—Podigni visoko baklju (Raise your torch!, 1996), and the prize-winning Zaista? (Really?, 2001) which was broadcast on Bosnian National Radio.. His participating through the courtesy of the Trust for Mutual Understanding. writing sample.
is the Project Coordinator of Culture and Science at the Qattan Foundation, and an editor at the Palestinian House of Poetry in Ramallah. Published in many magazines and journals, he is the author of Waj Al Zujaj (The Pain of Glass, 2001) and a contributor to Dueof An-Naar Ad-Da’Emoun, a joint publication of poetry for 13 young Palestinian poets. He is participating courtesy of the U.S. Department of State.
graduated in 1981 from the Chinese Department of Taiyuan Normal College and later studied at Beijing University. Her first published story, “Wo de liangge nuer” (My Two Daughters), marked the beginning of the Wound Literature movement in Shanxi. Since then, Ms. Jiang has published widely. Xianchang taoyi (Escape from the Scene, 1998), the third of her four story collections, was translated into French as Delit De Fuite (2001); and her five novels include Shanshuo zai nide zhitou (Shining on the Top of Your Tree, 1998) and Wo de leilu (My Interior Land, 2001). She is participating courtesy of the University of Iowa Chinese Community.
has been deeply involved in preserving the heritage of Malay culture, particularly through his writing. As a journalist with "The Star," Malaysia's largest circulation English newspaper, Mr. Khoo has written many articles about the arts and traditions of Malaysia. Currently, Mr. Khoo is working to establish a publishing firm that would translate literary works into Malay in the next two years he will publish five new books of his own--works of translation, criticism, and original poetry.
holds a PhD from Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun. She is an adjunct professor at the Special Education Academy in Warsaw. Ms. Kielar’s poetry has appeared in many journals in Poland, Germany, and the U.S. In Den Rillen Eisiger Shunden (2000) won Germany’s Herman Lenz Preis. She is participating courtesy of the U.S. Department of State.
(b. Nairobi, Kenya) is an associate professor of English at Zakir Husain College, University of Delhi. The recipient of many grants and awards, she has published nearly ten books of literary criticism, translation, and poetry. Her most recent book of poems is Folds of Silence (1998). She is currently at work on two new books. She is participating courtesy of the U.S. Department of State.
is a literary heavyweight in Chinese writing today. He has published several books of novels and short stories. He became best known for a series of stories published under the title Houtu (Thick Earth), which won the China Times Literary Prize and gained him a reputation across the Taiwan Straits. One of his novels, Tale of Silver City, consists of stories of individuals who were either pro- or anti-revolution at the end of Imperial China, and for whom their common fate was death. Many of his works have been translated into Swedish, English, French, Japanese, German, Dutch, and other languages.
is best known for a series of stories published under the title Houtu (Thick Earth), which won the China Times Literary Prize, and gained him an international reputation. One of his country’s major writers, Mr. Li has published four novels, three essay collections, and four story collections. Many of these works have been translated into Swedish, English, French, Japanese, German, Dutch, and other languages. His most recent novel is Yingcheng gushi (Tale of Silver City, 2001); an eight-volume Dongyue Wenku: Li Rui Collection will be published by Shandong Wenyi Publishing House in 2002. He is participating through the courtesy of the University of Iowa Chinese Community.
, who directs the Mathematics Department at the School of the Sciences at the University of Buenos Aires, is one of Argentina’s most important contemporary writers. His first book of stories, Infierno Grande (Vast Hell) winner of one of the most important literary prizes in Argentina, has become required reading in many high school literature courses; and several of the stories have been translated into other languages, including English. His first novel, Acerca de Roderer (Regarding Roderer, St. Martin’s Press, 1994) has been included in a collection of the best Argentinian literature of the century. Two more novels have followed, The Woman and the Master, and the recently finished The Oxford Series, both published (like all his books) by Planeta. His essays, articles, and reviews consistently appear in “La Nacion” and other major newspapers. For further information, refer to his web site, www.guillermomartinez.8m.net. He is participating courtesy of the U.S. Department of State.
is perhaps his country’s most promising poet. Jorge Amado has called him one of the greatest young Brazilian poets. Mr.Matos’s collection Ladies and Gentlemen: the Dawn was awarded the Jorge Amado Foundation Prize, and published by the same institution. The collection No Acampamento Das Sombras (At the Camp of Shadows) won the Xerox Award of Brazilian Literature, the most prestigious university literature award in Brazil. A translator from English and Slovenian, and an invitee to some of Europe’s most important literary festivals, including Druskininkai, Vilenica, and GM Hopkins, he is also editing the complete works of Dr. Duarte, one of the mentors of the “Tropicalia” and “New Cinema” movements. Mr. Matos is participating courtesy of the U.S. State Department.
is a highly accomplished journalist and fiction writer. He is the chairman of Four Star Books and host of the Radio New Zealand program “Book Club.” He has also hosted two New Zealand network television magazine shows, edited Bateman’s New Zealand Encyclopedia, provided the New Zealand questions for Trivial Pursuit, and was president of the New Zealand Society of Authors. He has written more than eight books, including political commentaries. He is participating courtesy of Creative New Zealand and the University of Iowa.
is a graduate of the Beijing School of Dramatics, and is called one of the foremost avant-garde playwrights in China. His productions in Chinese off-Broadway theaters have included The Rhinoceros in Love, Scandals from One Street, and Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, adapted for Chinese. His latest film is Chicken Poets. He is participating courtesy of the Asian Cultural Council.
is very involved in Ugandan theater. A founding member and co-director of the drama group Teamline, he is a committee member of the Kampala Amateur Dramatic Society, and an executive member of the National Theater Guild. His works include A Time of Fire (1999), Between You and Me, and The Woman in Me. He is participating courtesy of the U.S. Department of State.
grew up in the suburbs of Tokyo before moving to California and Hawaii for high school and university. She published her first book A Red Flower of Ayawaddy in 1999. That same year her first novel, Kanojo no Purenka, was awarded the Subaru Prize for literature. Now back in Tokyo, Ms. Nakagami writes articles for major magazines and newspapers. Her most recent novel, Paradise was published in 2001; another, Akuryo, will be published in August, 2002. She is participating courtesy of the Freeman Foundation.
is the author of On the Road Again (1986) and Dusk of Dawn (1995), both published in English; and co-author of Ndangariro (1987). Her work expresses ideas few dare voice, given the current political situation in Zimbabwe. She was once a member of the Zimbabwe Liberation Army in Mozambique, and now is the program director for Management Outreach Training Service for Rural and Urban Development. She is participating courtesy of the U.S. Department of State.
is a freelance journalist for the “Community Voice” and the “Zambian Citizen” newspapers in Lusaka. Established poet, former president of the Poetry Society of Zambia, and dedicated student of Human Rights Law, Mr. Nyirendra has been helping to advance every form of Zambian literature. He is participating courtesy of the U.S. Department of State.
is professor of literature at the Department of English and Comparative Literature at the University of the Philippines. He has edited both The China Post (Taipei) and The Daily Globe (Philippines), and is the author of Men of the East and Other Stories, Woman of Am-Kaw and Other Stories, Conversion and Other Fictions, and An Embarrassment of Riches. He received the Philippines 1990 National Book Award for Fiction. He is participating courtesy of the U.S. Department of State.
is the author of Testing the Silence (1997) and the co-editor of two poetry anthologies. His poems and critical essays have appeared in a number of magazines, journals, and anthologies. Mr. Pang serves on a number of literary committees and arts councils and as the editor for several online literary websites, including The Poetry Billboard (www.poetrybillboard.com), which features Singapore writers. He is participating courtesy of the Singapore National Arts Council.
is an art curator and the editor of the Jakarta literary journal “Prosa” (Prose). Winner of the national “Sanggar Minum Kopi Bali Award” for poetry, Mr. Prasetyo has recently published two volumes of art criticism, translations of Bharati Mukherjee and Octavio Paz, and his own selected poems, entitled Mahasukka (2000). He is participating courtesy of the Open Society Institute.
published her debut novel Persian Brides in 1995. Translated into 15 languages, including English, (George Braziller, NY, 1997, translation Yael Lotan), Persian Brides won the Yizhak Vinner Prize in Israel, The Golden and Platinium Awards, and The Jewish Quarterly-Wingate Award in London. In 1997, her television script “Shuly's Fiancé” was directed by Doron Zabari, and won The Israeli Academy Award as the year’s best drama. Strand Of a Thousand Pearls, her second novel, was published in Israel at 1999, translated into 13 languages (Random House Publishing, NY, 2002, translation Yael Lotan), and also received great acclaim, winning the Golden and Platinium Awards, as well as the Eshkol Award. Ms. Rabinyan is now working on a third novel. She is participating courtesy of the US-Israel Educational Foundation.
founded “Sandratra,” an association of young Malagasy poets, and joined with others to found the Malagasy National Committee of ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites). In addition to his work as a poet—Mr. Rajaonarison has authored many poetry collections, including Voyage Sur Les Hautes Terres (Trip to the Highlands, 2002)—he makes translations, contributes to local newspapers, and often appears on radio and television programs. He is participating courtesy of the U.S. Department of State.
is a poet, critic, and editor of the monthly Literatura na _wiecie. He has translated the works of John Ashbery, John Berryman, Seamus Heaney, and numerous other American and Anglo-Irish poets, while many of his own poems, translations, and critical works have appeared in publications such as the New Yorker, Ploughshares, and the Times Literary Supplement. A collection, Things to Translate and Other Poems (1991), is available in English. His most recent book is Piosenka pasterska (1999). He is participating courtesy of the Jurzykowski Foundation.
(poet; China b. 1963, Xu Zhou) is a vice-professor of western literature and English language at the Central Academy of Fine Arts. Elected in 1996 to the board of directors of the Chinese Poets’ Association, Xi Chuan (pen name of Mr. Liu Jun) has published four collections of poems, most recently Water Stains (2001), in addition to a play and translations. His poetry has been widely anthologized and translated into more than ten languages. Among his many prizes is the prestigious Lu Xun Prize for literature in 2001. He is participating courtesy of the Freeman Foundation.
is the author of Follen’s Heritage: A German (Hi)Story (1986), The Man Who Comes Again (1990), Café Europa (1994), and Kropp: A Revenge (1996), as well as many short stories, essays, and poems. He has been writer-in-residence at New York University and artist-in-residence at the University of Erfurt/Thuringia. He is participating courtesy of the Max Kade Foundation.
(Burma b. 1946, Mandalay) through more than twenty novels has made Burmese history and Buddhist culture come alive for Burma’s younger generations. His novelization of the “Ramayana”—in which the villain Dasigiri becomes the protagonist—is regarded as a classic. Chit Oo Nyo (U Kyaw Zwa’s pen name) is working on a novel about an 18th century member of the Royal Court, U Po Hlain, a figure known for his radical ideas. U Kyaw Zwa is participating courtesy of the U.S. Department of State.
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