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
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, 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, 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 Visitor
fiction writer, journalist, poet
Ulziitugs LUVSANDORJ (poet, fiction writer, journalist; b. 1972, Mongolia) is the author of one novel Nudnii shilend uldsen zurguud [‘The Pictures, What Remained in the Glasses’] (2004) and four books of poetry. In 2002, her poetry collection Erh cholootei baihyn urlag buyu Shine nom [‘Art of Freedom or The New Book’] was nominated for the National Literary Award Altan Od [Golden Feather]. For the past eight years, she has worked as a freelance journalist. She participates courtesy of the Center for Asian and Pacific Studies (CAPS) at the University of Iowa.
2006 Visitor, 2007 Resident
editor, fiction writer, journalist, non-fiction writer, poet
is a graduate of the Maxim Gorky Literary Institute in Moscow. He has published six books of poetry, two collections of short stories, several non-fiction books, and three novels. In 2002, he was awarded the National Literary Award Altan Od [Golden Feather] for Durlalgui yrtontsiin blues [‘The Blues of a World Without Love’] and again in 2003 for the novel Ilbe zereglee [‘The Magic Mirage’]. He participates courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
2006 Visitor
fiction writer, non-fiction writer
holds a PhD in sociology from Cornell University, and teaches sociology, screenwriting, and creative writing in Colombia. He is the author of several novels about the Jewish immigrant experience there, among them El rumor del astracan (1991). The MA program in Creative Writing he started at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, the first of its kind in Latin America, will launch in 2007. He participates courtesy of International Programs, Latin American Studies, The Department of Spanish and Portuguese, and The International Writing Program.
2007 40th Anniversary Guest
fiction writer, poet
Ersi Sotiropoulos is a Greek poet, novelist, and short story writer. Her novel, Zigzag through the Bitter Orange Trees, was awarded both the National Literature Prize and the Book Critics' Award in 2000, and was published in English in 2007 by Interlink Press. She has written scripts for film and television and participated in several exhibitions of visual and concrete poetry.
2007 40th Anniversary Guest
fiction writer, visual artist
Santiago Vaquera-Vásquez is an unrepentant border crosser, writer, painter, former DJ, and academic who has published stories in international literary journals and newspapers as well as in major anthologies on contemporary literature in the Americas. He has been invited to give readings from his work at universities and conferences in Spain, Mexico, Colombia, and the United States. Currently an assistant professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Iowa, he has also taught at Penn State, Texas A & M University, and has been a visiting scholar at Dartmouth College. In 2006, as a Fulbright Senior Lecturer in Spain, he lectured at universities in Madrid and Salamanca. His academic work on US/Mexico border cultures has been published in journals and anthologies in Mexico and the United States.
1996, 2007 40th Anniversary Guest
fiction writer
is the author of nine novels, one volume of short stories, and one collection of essays. Born in Chile, he lived in Cuba, East Germany, West Germany, and Sweden before coming to the United States in 2000. He was an IWP fellow in 1996, and earned his master’s and doctorate degrees at the University of Iowa, where he now teaches Latin American literature and creative writing and leads a Spanish-language fiction workshop. He also writes columns for La Tercera and the New York Times Syndicate. His work has been published throughout Latin America as well as in Croatia, China, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and the US. His last novel, Pasiones griegas, was voted “Best Novel Published In Spanish In 2006” by the National People’s Publishing House of China and the Association of Chinese Hispanists. Currently he is working on a novel to be released in 2008.
2007 Resident
critic, fiction writer, non-fiction writer
has authored three novels, most recently ‘The Lost Land’ (2005), and a number of non-fiction works. Among his awards are the Hong Kong Youth Literary Award, a Chinese Literature Creative Award, and the 7th Hong Kong Chinese Literary Biennial Award. His fiction appears regularly in journals and anthologies in Hong Kong and mainland China. He currently teaches creative writing at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He participates courtesy of the Asian Cultural Council.
2007 Resident
fiction writer
骆以军 holds degrees from the Chinese Culture University and the National Institute of the Arts in Taiwan. He has published ten books of fiction and poetry, most recently 'We' (2004). Among his awards are a First Prize in Fiction from the China Times Literary Awards and a Taipei Literary Annual Award. His work is regularly named on the top ten lists compiled by various newspapers in Taiwan.
2007 Resident
fiction writer, non-fiction writer, physician
has worked as a surgeon in rural areas throughout India. She currently runs a medical center for workers in Maharashtra, and a Learning Centre for their children. She has authored five novels, most recently The Hills of Angheri (2005) and several children’s books. Among her honors is a UNICEF-CBT Award for her children’s novel, Once Upon a Forest. She also writes on healthcare issues for Indian press. She participates courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
2007 Resident
fiction writer, non-fiction writer, translator
is among the most prolific young prose writers on the Greek literary scene. He has authored four novels, most recently ‘Imaginary Museum,’ 2005; a volume of essays (‘The Language Box,’ 2006), a collection of short stories (‘Napolean Delastos’ Recipes,’ 1997), a novella (‘The Parthenon Bomber,’ 1996), and, with Diane Neumaier, an exhibition catalogue (Encounters, 2003) and an artist book (The black dress, 2002). His work is available in five languages and he has been awarded grants in Europe and the US. He participates courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
2007 Resident
fiction writer
has published two collections of short stories in English, Life Before X (2000) and White Elephants (2005). A third collection, Survivors and Other Stories, is forthcoming in 2007, along with his first novel. Lacuesta’s awards include two National Book Awards from the Manila Critics Circle, the Madrigal-Gonzalez Best First Book Award, several Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards, and Philippine Graphic Magazine Literary Awards and the NVM Gonzalez Award. He is the literary editor of the Philippines Free Press. He participates courtesy of the U.S. Embassy in Manila.
2007 Resident
fiction writer, screenwriter
has written extensively for film and television and authored three novels (titled, in translation 'The Guard of Deception,' 1993; The Gypsy Notebooks, 2000; and In Praise of Hatred, 2006), published in multiple editions in the Arab world. His honors include a 2007 award from the Ismaiiliyah International Festival for Documentaries and a 2005 Award for Best Script for Bab al Maqam, from the Valencia Film Festival. Currently, he is working on his fourth novel, A Parallel Life. He participates courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
2007 Resident
fiction writer
studied Civil Engineering and Philosophy at the University of Montenegro. He has authored one novel, Hansenova djeca (‘Hansen’s Children,’ 2004), and two collections of short stories, Sve to (‘All That,’ 2001) and Zimska potraga (‘Winter Search’ 2007) . His novel, which won a 2005 Mesha Selimovic Award, is available in French and Polish translations. He works as journalist for the independent daily press, Vijesti, in Podgorica. Spahic participates courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
2007 Resident
fiction writer, non-fiction writer
is one of Myanmar’s most active literary voices. She has published one novel (‘Wild Snowy Night,’ 1995), a volume of essays (‘Learning from My Son,’ 2001), and a collection of short stories with three other women writers (‘The Pink Before Dark,’ 1996). Her work has appeared in numerous journals and magazines, was adapted into radio plays, and a story (‘Not Novel’) was made into a short film in Japan. Currently, she works as a freelance journalist in Yangon.
Find Us Online