91st Meridian

91st Meridian is an electronic publication of the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa, in Iowa City (41° 38' N /91° 33' W). It appears intermittently, and aims to contribute to general reading beyond the (national, linguistic, cultural) borders of the Anglophone sphere.

We consider submissions of fiction, poetry, essays, non-fiction and book reviews as long as the material reflects, in some way, the world as a space of literary transit and translation.

Happening Now

  • Congratulations to our colleagues Jennifer Croft and Aron Aji, who are among those serving as judges for the National Book Awards this year, in their case in the category of translated literature.

  • Ranjit Hoskote’s speech at the 2024 Goa Literary Festival addresses the current situation in Gaza.

  • In NY Times, Bina Shah worries about the state of Pakistani—and American—democracy.

  • “I went to [Ayodhya] to think about what it means to be an Indian and a Hindu... ”  A new essay by critic and novelist Chandrahas Choudhury.

  • In the January 2024 iteration of the French/English non-fiction site Frictions, T J Benson writes about “Riding Afrobeats Across the World.” Also new, a next installment in the bilingual series featuring work by students from Paris VIII’s Creative Writing program and the University of Iowa’s NFW program.

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