Vivek SHANBHAG (fiction writer, playwright; India), engineer by training, is the author of two plays, five short-story collections and three novels. His writing has appeared in Granta, Seminar, and Indian Literature; his most recent novel, Ghachar Ghochar, appeared in English in 2016. He writes in Kannada, and is the founder of the literary magazine Desha Kaala. His participation is made possible by the William B. Quarton Fund through the Cedar Rapids Community Foundation and the U.R. Ananthamurthy Fund for Karnataka Culture through the University of Iowa.
2016 Resident
fiction writer, poet, scholar, translator
Stephanos STEPHANIDES (poet, memory-fiction writer, translator, filmmaker; Cyprus) is professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of Cyprus. In 2005 he published Blue Moon in Rajasthan and Other Poems; in 2008 he won the first prize for video poetry for Poets in No Man’s Land at the Nicosia International Film Festival. His poetry has been published in a dozen languages; he has served as a judge for the 2000 and the 2010 Commonwealth Writers Prize. His participation is made possible by an anonymous donation to the IWP.
2016 Resident
fiction writer, playwright
Shenaz PATEL (fiction writer, playwright; Mauritius) has written many novels, plays, and short stories in both French and Mauritian Créole: best known is her 2005 novel Le silence des Chagos. As a working journalist, she writes about social and cultural issues; much of her writing seeks to unearth the unsaid and untold. She participates courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
2016 Resident
fiction writer, non-fiction writer, screenwriter
Ukamaka OLISAKWE (screenwriter, novelist, nonfiction writer; Nigeria) writes TV scripts (most recently the series “The Calabash”), essays, short stories, and has one novel. Selected in 2014 by the Africa39 Project as one of the continent’s 39 most promising writers under the age of 40, she has had her work appear in the New York Times. She participates courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
2016 Resident
fiction writer, non-fiction writer, poet
Tetiana TROITSKAYA (fiction writer, poet, nonfiction writer; Ukraine) graduated from the Skovoroda National Pedagogical University in Kharkiv, and now teaches English philology there. Her novel Akvamaryn dlia vodoleyi won the 2012 Oles Honchar Prize. Her participation is made possible by the William B. Quarton Fund through the Cedar Rapids Community Foundation and the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv.
2016 Resident
fiction writer, poet
Eros ATALIA (fiction writer; Philippines) teaches Filipino language, journalism, and film production and theory at the University of Santo Tomas. A recipient of numerous awards for his essays, poems, and fiction, he has had the story “Si Intoy Syokoy ng Kalye Marino” and the novel Ligo na u, lapit na me adapted to film. He is currently completing a PhD in Linguistics at the University of the Philippines. His participation is made possible by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
2016 Resident
fiction writer, non-fiction writer
Yusi Avianto PAREANOM (fiction writer, nonfiction writer; Indonesia) the founder of the publishing house Penerbit Banana, has a novel and several collections of short stories, among them Rumah Kopi Singa Tertawa [The Coffee House of the Laughing Lion] (2011). He has also been involved in theatrical productions, films, and other multimedia art ventures. He participates courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
2016 Resident
fiction writer, translator
ZHOU Jianing 周嘉宁 (fiction writer, translator; China) has published seven novels and two short story collections, as well as Chinese translations of major English-language writers such as Flannery O’Connor and Joyce Carol Oates. Her most recent novel, [In the Woods], was published in 2014. Her participation is made possible by the Paul and Hualing Engle Fund.
2016 Resident
fiction writer, poet, translator
Henriikka TAVI (poet, fiction writer, translator; Finland) teaches creative writing, collaborates with artists from different art branches, and translates from the Swedish and German into Finnish. She is a founding member of Poesia, a poetry publishing cooperative, and the author of 12, an experimental poetry book project. She participates courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
2016 Resident
fiction writer, performance artist
Hensli RAHN SOLÓRZANO (musician, fiction writer; Venezuela) is the author of story collections, Crónicamente Caracas (2008) and Dinero fácil (2014), named the best Venezuelan short story book of the year by El Universal. A regular contributor to literary journals and news sites, including Contrapunto, Sacven, and Prodavinci, he is also a songwriter; in 2008 his band Autopista Sur released the album Caracas se quema. He is currently based in Berlin, Germany. He participates courtesy of the U.S. Embassy in Caracas.
2016 Resident
fiction writer
Wasi AHMED (fiction writer, Bangladesh) has published several collections of stories and four novels, most recently the volume Bok o Banshful (2015) and the novel Tolkuthurir Gaan, which won the 2015 Akhtaruzzaman Elias Book of the Year Award. His stories have been anthologized both in original and in English translation. Ahmed translates between English and Bengali, and writes for The Financial Express. His participation is made possible by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
2016 Resident
fiction writer
Odeh BISHARAT (fiction writer; Israel) is an Arab-Israeli newspaper columnist and political activist. His first novel, [The Streets of Zatunia], (2007) was translated into Hebrew and Finnish; the Hebrew translation of his second novel, Donia, will be released in 2017. He participates courtesy of the United States-Israeli Education Foundation.
2016 Resident
fiction writer
NG Suk-yin Virginia 伍淑賢 (fiction writer, essayist; Hong Kong) writes stories, often about her generation’s life in contemporary Hong Kong, recently gathered in the collection [People from the Mountain]. The collection of essays [Night Follows Day] is forthcoming. Her stories have been widely anthologized, both in Chinese and in English translation. She works as a communications consultant. She participates courtesy of the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation.
2016 Resident
fiction writer, non-fiction writer, poet
Legodile ‘Dredd X’ SEGANABENG (poet, fiction and nonfiction writer; Botswana) is a high school art teacher and spoken-word poet, performing regionally in Southern Africa, and across the country of Botswana. A recipient of the Bessie Head Literature Award, he frequently writes on human rights and women’s rights. His first novel, Josie, is being published in 2016. He participates courtesy of the U.S. Embassy in Gaborone.
2016 Resident
fiction writer
LEE Chae Won (fiction writer; South Korea), essayist and novelist, studied French literature. Her [My Beautiful Marathon] won the Hyundae Munhak Award for Novels in 2010, and was acknowledged by the Arts Council Korea in 2012. Her [Run, Mural] won the 2011 Hanuri Munhak Award for Young Adult; [Sarah Sa Boutique], her 2014 short story collection, was selected as a Sejong Nanum Book. She participates courtesy of Arts Council Korea.
2016 Resident
fiction writer, non-fiction writer
Carlos PATIÑO PEREDA (fiction writer, nonfiction writer; Venezuela), a lawyer, human rights activist and former president of the national labor union "Sintrainces," has published a collection of stories, [I Will Kill You Twice]. In 2015 his [“Concentric Circles”] won El Nacional’s 70th annual story competition. He is at work on his first novel. He participates courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
2016 Resident
fiction writer
SHIBASAKI Tomoka 柴崎友香 (fiction writer; Japan) is a novelist. In 2003 her first book, Kyō no dekigoto, was made into a film. Her work appears in literary magazines; several stories have been published in English translation. Her novel Sono machi no ima wa (2006) won the MEXT Award for New Artists; in 2014 her novella Haru no niwa won the Akutagawa Prize. Her participation is made possible by the Japan Foundation.
2016 Resident
fiction writer, poet
Ruel JOHNSON (fiction writer, poet; Guyana), a journalist and editor, is the author of several collections of poetry and short stories. In 2002, his Ariadne & Other Stories won the Guyana Prize for Literature for Best First Book of Fiction; the collection Fictions won later the same award. A cultural advisor to the government of Guyana, Johnson is involved in policy development and implementation. He participates courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
2016 Resident
fiction writer, non-fiction writer, physician
zp (Priya) DALA (fiction writer, nonfiction writer; South Africa) is a physical therapist, a psychologist, and a writer. Her first novel, What About Meera, won the 2015 South African Minara Debut Prize, was shortlisted for the Etisalat Literary Prize, and made the top 15 African novels of 2015 list. A second novel, The Architecture of Loss, is forthcoming in 2017. Her op-ed pieces have appeared in The New York Times and elsewhere. She participates courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
2016 Resident
fiction writer, poet, visual artist
CHEN Ko Hua 陳克華 (poet, fiction writer, painter; Taiwan) studied at Taipei Medical University and Harvard Medical School; he now practices as an ophthalmologist at the Taipei Veterans’ General Hospital. He is the author of more than twenty volumes of poetry; his collection [Tears of Ignorance] was recently translated into Japanese. His work often addresses LGBTQ issues. His participation is made possible by the Taiwan Ministry of Culture.
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