received her B.A. in history and comparative literature at Hebrew University this year. She works for an Israeli-Palestinian NGO, ‘Windows,’ whose educational and cultural programs aim to promote understanding, and reconciliation between the people from both nations. She is a translator for Windows’ bi-lingual youth magazine, and contributes articles to the book supplement of Ha’aretz newspaper and the literary journal Ma’ayan. She is writing a novel about life in Jaffa. She participates courtesy of the US Department of State.
2005 Resident
fiction writer, translator
2005 Resident
fiction writer, poet, translator
lived in Japan for sixteen years, which inspired her novel The Air of Tokyo (2002). She received a B.A. in Comparative Culture from Sophia University in Tokyo, and is a Ph.D. candidate in creative writing at the University of Adelaide. The Tokyo Journal published her first poem in 1985. Her prose, poetry and translations of Japanese literature have appeared, often in her own performances, on the Australian Broadcasting Commission’s “Poetica” Program, Writer’s Radio 5UV, and SBS Japanese Radio.
2005 Resident
fiction writer, playwright, screenwriter
is a civil engineer who lives in Aleppo. His novels include Cancer, The North Winds, A Case of Passion, and Noise and Silence. Of his many television dramas the most widely acclaimed, Silk Market, set in Aleppo during the political turmoil of the 1950s, was shown throughout the Middle East, in Germany and in Australia. His latest series, Al Khait Al Abiadh (‘The First Gleam of Dawn’), provides a frank depiction of the country’s government-controlled media. Many Arab-speaking stations aired the series in 2004, generating praise for its boldness and controversy. He is at work on a 30-episode series about the early life of the Lebanese-born artist and poet Kahlil Gibran. He participates courtesy of the US Department of State.
2005 Resident
fiction writer, filmmaker
is well-known for his distinctive short films Souvenir (1997), Baby (1998) and So Nyeon Gi (1999, ‘Brushing’), all shown at the Clermont-Ferrand, Chicago and Venice international film festivals. After completing the short Mobil (2004, part of the omnibus feature Show Me), presented at Puchon Fantastic Film Festival, he embarked on his first full-length feature Antarctic Journal, based on his eponymous novel and starring Song Gang-Ho. This mystery thriller, revolving around a Korean expedition to the continent, was released this summer in Korea and Japan. He participates courtesy of the Freeman Foundation.
2005 Resident
fiction writer, non-fiction writer
studied electronic engineering at Ajou University, then devoted himself to Korea’s labor movement, serving as chief editor for two national unions' publications. He made his literary debut in 1992 with “Rolling Stones” in the Korean magazine Creation & Criticism, and several stories followed. After a ten-year hiatus, he returned to writing with a novel, Sihanoukville Stories, and two long essays, “The Sad Shadow of Mekong: Indochina” and “SweetTropics.” He contributes articles, columns and serializations to various magazines. He is participating courtesy of the Korean Culture and Arts Foundation.
2005 Resident
fiction writer, translator
earned a Ph.D. in English from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The title story of her dissertation, "Kyoto Panorama Project," was published in The Massachusetts Review. Other publications in American journals include “Chick Sexing School,” “Movie Dog,” and “Between the Imperial Garden and Temple Street.” She lectures on topics in American literature, and is currently Assistant Professor of English at Keio University in Tokyo. She participates courtesy of Keio University.
2005 Resident
editor, fiction writer, non-fiction writer, publisher
, a consultant for several international human rights NGO’s, has published two short-story collections, Zillij and Fifteen. In 2003 she co-founded the Perera-Hussein Publishing House to present emerging and established Sri Lankan writers. She edits Nethra, a journal published by the International Centre for Ethnic Studies, which addresses issues of violence, governance, and development. Ms. Hussein, now at work on a novel, participates courtesy of the US Department of State.
2005 Resident
fiction writer, non-fiction writer
made his Vietnamese publishing debut in 1995 with a collection of poems titled (in English) Man Who Tends the Waves. His work has appeared in several American publications, including Tinfish and The Literary Review, Vietnam Inside-Out: Dialogues (2001), and the anthology Three Vietnamese Poets (2001). He has also written several works of prose, such as Following on the Trail of Pinion to the Mild-Zone ( 2003) and Tibet-Bloom Drop in the Sunshine ( 2004). A member of the Vietnamese Association of Writers and of the Vietnamese Association of Journalists, Mr. Hai works for Viet Nam Television and has thrice received the Gold Prize for his work on documentary films. He is participating courtesy of the US Department of State.
2006 Resident
editor, fiction writer, translator
has worked and studied in Hamburg, Leipzig and New York. His stories and poems have appeared in magazines such as BELLAtriste, EDIT and sprachgebunden. The short story “Bruck on the Floor Sings as Quietly as Monk Plays” won him the 2006 MDR-Literature-Prize. A Dog’s Funeral, his first novel, is scheduled for publication in 2007. He participates courtesy of the Max Kade Foundation.
2006 Resident
fiction writer, scholar
is the author of the novels Their Guns (1993) and Blooming Flowers (1997). He has taught literature and creative writing at several South Korean colleges and universities. In 2006 he published his latest short story collection, How Do Dogs Laugh? A prolific coordinator of literary activities and programs, he is at present the chief researcher of the Choi Myung-Hee Literary Museum, and an adjunct professor at the Jeonju National University of Education. He participates courtesy of The Arts Council Korea.
2006 Resident
fiction writer, non-fiction writer, poet
is one of Uruguay’s leading writers, with work published in the U.S., Latin America, and Europe. The author of three novels, sixteen volumes of poetry, and a prolific essayist, he has won both his country's National Prize in Narrative for his first novel A Dog’s Life (1997), and the National Prize in Poetry for his 2002 collection Frontiers of Umbria. He teaches screenwriting at the Escuela de Cine del Uruguay in Montevideo. He participates courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State.
2006 Resident
fiction writer, screenwriter
was raised in the Xinghua province of Jiangsu, China. After early years as a journalist in Nanjing, he went on to publish more than 20 novels and short story collections, several of which have been awarded prizes, including two Lu Xun prizes (1995-6; 2002-2005). In 2004, he was named Most Favorite Chinese Writer in France. Among his film work is the screenplay for Shanghai Triad (1995), directed by Zhang Yimou. His novels have been translated and published in France and Germany. He participates courtesy of The Ramon and Victoria Lim Fund, the Freeman Fund, Dr. Shiliang Sun, and Hualing Engle.
2006 Resident
fiction writer, poet, translator
is a physician and senior lecturer at Zawia Teaching Hospital. In his literary career, he has translated the poems of W.B. Yeats, as well as collections of American, Lithuanian, and Canadian modern poetry. Since 1993, he has published four collections of poems, most recently A Box of the Old Laughs (2005). His work is widely anthologized in the Arab-speaking world and Europe, including the Anthology of Modern Arabic Poetry (France). In 2001, he ventured into prose with his first novel, Dardaneen. He participates courtesy of the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli.
2006 Resident
fiction writer, poet
contributes regularly to magazines and literary journals in Russia. His short novel Frunze Narratives was nominated in 1998 for the Russian Booker Prize. Twice in 2001, he won first place in the “Prose” category of the literary Internet competition “Ulov." He has published one book of poems, A Road to Uchsumabad (1995) and a collection of short stories, Nurse Angela (2005). He lives in Sankt Petersburg and participates courtesy of the Open World Program.
2006 Resident
fiction writer, journalist
(novelist, fiction writer and journalist; b.1954 Bangladesh) has published ten short story collections, most recently Nirbachita Galpa (2004). Among his thirty-eight books the novel Abasvumi (1994) won the Philips Literary Award as Best Novel in 1995. In 1998, he received the Bangla Academy Literary award for overall achievement in literature. At present he is an assistant editor of Daily Amar Desh, a leading newspaper in Bangladesh. His latest novel, Plaban, was published in 2006. He lives in Dhaka, and participates courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State.
2006 Resident
fiction writer, journalist, poet, translator
is a graduate of Saint-Petersburg State University of Cinema and Television. She works as a freelance journalist, specializing in modern literature and television. She has also participated in translation projects in English and Finnish. From 2000-2003, she was a correspondent for the magazine Piterbook. She lives in Helsinki, where she is actively involved in the literary community. She participates courtesy of the Open World Program.
2006 Resident
fiction writer, filmmaker, playwright, screenwriter
has published two novels, written five plays, and worked on several films as writer and director. His most recent project, My Friend, My Enemy (2004), is a documentary about friendships between Palestinian and Israeli women. In 2004, he co-founded the Open Workshop for Culture and the Arts in Palestine, an organization that encourages cultural exchange between Palestine and the global community through art. He participates courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State.
2006 Resident
fiction writer
(pen name of Mariètou Mbaye Biléoma) is the Senegalese-born writer whose pen name means “one who is unwanted.” Her first novel, Le baobab fou [The Abandoned Baobab: The Autobiography of a Senegalese Woman], investigated post-colonial identity for a young African woman in Belgium. Bugul has headed the African region section of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, as well as convening writing workshops in underprivileged areas, and organizing other cultural outreach. In 1999 her novel Riwan ou le chemin de sable ['Riwan or the Sandy Track'] was awarded the Grand Prix Littéraire de l'Afrique Noire. La pièce d'or (2006) is her seventh novel. She participates courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State.
2006 Resident
critic, editor, fiction writer, translator
has published the poetry collection Persona, the travelogue The Serbian Parable and the novel, Wishes Granted. She contributes essays on life in contemporary Russia to several newspapers and journals, including Logos, a philosophical magazine. She holds a MA from Moscow University, where she recently taught a special course on poets and power. She participates courtesy of the Open World Program.
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