Lines & Spaces

In partnership with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, the International Writing Program organizes reading tours to countries or regions with a relatively sparse history of literary liaisons with the contemporary United States.

The aim of a Reading Tour is two-fold: to introduce important American writers to a new and distinct literary-cultural landscape, and to create opportunities for colleagues and students there to meet with a group of distinguished representatives of the current American literary scene.

The tour involves public readings, visits to universities and literary institutions, encounters with cultural personalities and media, and visits to places and events that increase our understanding of the historical and current affairs of the region.

Upcoming Events

Happening Now

  • Jennifer Feeley’s translation of Tongueless, Lau Yee-wa’s thriller sketching Hong Kong’s slide toward linguistic totalitarianism, is forthcoming from Feminist Press.

  • In addition to becoming the Berlin LitFest’s first curator-in-residence, Helon Habila has also just received Kaduna Books and Art Festival’s KabaFest Lifetime Achievement Award, celebrating his "exceptional writing and significant contributions to the development of literature globally."

  • Congratulations to Enah Johnscott, whose film Half Heaven won three awards at the Cameroon International Film Festival—best film, best director, and best cinematographer.

  • We regret the passing, on April 11, 2024, of the distinguished Romanian author and critic Dan Cristea, who served as the editor in chief of the Luceafărul de Dimineață cultural monthly. In addition to being an alum of the 1985 Fall Residency, Cristea received his PhD in Comparative Literature at the University of Iowa.

  • Our congratulations to 1986 Fall Residency writer Kwame Dawes, who has been named the new poet laureate of Jamaica.

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