(born 1958, Leova) has been the director of Contrafort magazine, renowned as the strongest cultural periodical in Moldava, for the past 4 years. He has published one novel (The Witness, 1988) and two books of poetry (Sick Landscape, 1988 and Character in the Forgotten Garden, 1992), and his poetry can be found in various anthologies, including the French Une Antologie de la Poésie Moldave and L'Esprit des Péninsules, the German Neue Literatur, and the Italian Young Romanian Poetry. Mr. Girnet worked as an editor in the publishing house Hyperion from 1983-1990, and then as editor-in-chief of the same publisher from 1990-1994. He currently serves as Moldova's representative to the International PEN Organization. His participation in the IWP is supported by the United States Information Agency.
(born 1977, Scherzingen, Switzerland) began working as a freelance journalist for the Südkurier/Korstanz when she was very young. Since that time, she has worked as a journalist for two newspapers, the Südkurier/Singen and the Tagesspiegel/Berlin. She has published her prose in various magazines in Germany, including Kabeljau, the magazine of the Literaturinstitut, where she got her Diploma in Prose and Poetry. Ms. Kobow has also written prose for radio production. She has received prizes and fellowships from the Leipziger Literaturstipendium and the Filmboard Berlin-Brandenburg. Her participation in the IWP is supported by a grant from Joan E. Vander Naald Egenes, the Deutscher Literaturinstitut Leipzig, and by the German government.
(born 1960, Lodz) is widely published as a translator from Polish and French into English. Some of her numerous translations include Oni by Teresa Toranska (Collins-Harvill), Poverty by Bronislaw Geremek (Blackwell), Tales from Lailonia by her father, Leszek Kolakowski (Chicago), and a book of essays by Leszek Kolakowski which is forthcoming from Penguin. Her translations have appeared in numerous magazines, both popular and academic, and she has published articles and reviews in such journals as The Salisbury Review and The Times. Ms. Kolakowska was educated in Philosophy and Classics at Yale University, Columbia University, and The University of Cambridge, and has spent the last decade working on various education projects in Eastern Europe. She is fluent in English, French, Hebrew, and Polish, and also speaks and reads German, Greek, Italian, Latin and Spanish. Her participation in the IWP is supported by the Jurzykowski Foundation.
(fiction writer, Switzerland; born 1943, Wald) has published seven novels, most recently Kilchenstock, der Bergstruz in den Köpfen (Limmat Verlag, 1996), and numerous children's books, collections of stories and essays, among them Die Fabrikglocke, Vom Aufstand der Glarner Stoffdrucker gegen die Zeit (Limmat Verlag, 1994), Sanduhren im Fels, Erzählungen und Reportagen (Limmat Verlag, 1994), and Der Computerdieb (Benziger Verlag, 1986). Mr. Zopfi is the author of nine radio plays as well. His work is much acclaimed in Switzerland, and his many awards include Cultural and Literary Awards from the Swiss Alpine Club, Canton and City Awards of Zurich, a National Award for Children's Story and an award from the Pro Helvetica Foundation. Mr. Zopfi currently works teaching creative writing workshops. His participation in the IWP is supported by the Swiss government.
(poet, short story writer, scriptwriter, Nigeria; born 1974, Ibadan) started writing at an early age. Now, at 25, her poetry and fiction have received four National Awards from the Association of Nigerian Authors. Her first poetry collection, So All the Time I Was Sitting on an Egg (Ovalonion House, 1998) was followed by a second, unpublished collection, Matters of Grave Persistence, which received the first prize in the competition of the Ono chapter of ANA. She is currently editor of the Ovalonion Publishing House and marketing manager for the literary journal, Glendora Review. A former student of IWP alumnus Niyi Osundare, Lola holds the MA in literature from the University of Ibadan and the BA (Honours) in English from Ogun State University. Her poetry, newspaper articles and scripts for television sitcoms and the radio soap opera "B.T.Street" are popular; her poems and short fiction have appeared in Glendora Review, the Association of Nigerian Authors Review, and in various Nigerian newspapers and magazines. She plans to establish a non-governmental organization and creative writing school, Rising World, that will stimulate and encourage other young writers. The US Information Agency is providing the grant for her participation in the IWP.
(born 1975, Hanoi) is a writer and editor at Kim Dong Publishing House, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. At 24 years of age, Ms. Nguyen is already recognized nationally as one of the most prominent young authors in Vietnam. She started writing when she was four years old and has published nine volumes of short stories (three have won national awards) and many short stories and poems in literary journals and magazines. In her works, she tends to focus on the complexities of modern life typical of a developing society, such as family breakdown and generational conflicts, social disorders, and the feelings of human solitude now plaguing many Vietnamese youth. Her writing tries not only to raise the reader's awareness of these problems, but also seeks ways to cope with them. In addition, Giang is a well-known painter whose works have been included in national as well as international exhibitions. Recent publications of short stories include The Game, 1999; Childhood Summer, 1997 (National Award); Short Hair, 1997 (National Award); Sleepless, 1997; The Beautiful Blue Bird, 1996; and Love Market, 1996. The US Information Agency supports her participation in the IWP.
(born 1974, Lublin) writes for the Echo Ziemi Lubartowskiej (local daily) in Lubartow. At a very young age he recently published "Palimpsest," "Wall," and other short stories in Akcent (cultural quarterly); "Final Thing" in Tworczosc (national Literary magazine), 1997; "After-image and Other Miniatures" and "What are the Limits of Civil Obedience?" in Scriptores Scholarum (Lublin cultural magazine), 1997; and "Old Woman" in Attempt (university magazine), 1996. His short stories, published in regional and national cultural periodicals, are a valuable voice of his young generation and a reflection of life in the small town and rural areas of southeastern Poland. Mr. Pokraka would like to learn about young American literature, logic and literature, American literary periodicals, and U.S. provinces and networks during his stay in this country. He is attending the IWP on a grant from the US Information Agency.
(born 1939, Lome) is director of Edition Akpagnon in Lome, and previously served as consultant for the UNESCO in Paris and as professor of sociology at Togo's Ecole National d'Administration and at the University of Benin. He is the author of the novels La Victime (1979) and Le Miroir (1979) and many important essays. Dr. Dogbe has been writing for many years, since he was a high school teacher; after a hiatus due to political problems, he established a publishing operation, Edition Akagnon, which helps to promote the works of young writers. He holds the doctorate in sociology from the University of Paris, Sorbonne V. Dr. Dogbe has attended numerous conferences in Europe and traveled extensively in neighboring African nations. He is taking part in the IWP through a grant from the U.S. Department of State.
(born 1965, Nalchik) is considered a rising talent in Moscow literary circles. Her recently published collection of short stories was nominated for one of the highly rated "Anti-Booker" awards in 1999 and received critical acclaim. Her stories have received awards in two Internet literary competitions, have been translated into Italian and German, and are included in a recent German anthology of the best prose by young Russian writers. Her readings on the radio programs "Liberty" and "Resonance" are very popular with Russian audiences. Her work has appeared in prestigious Russian journals, including Znamya, Druzhba Narodov, Vremya 1 My, and Strelets. She was educated at the Moscow Literary University and the Moscow Art Theater School; she is a member of the Union of Writers of Moscow. The US Department of State is supporting her participation in the IWP.
(born 1957, Fort Portal) is head of the French department at the Kitante Hill School in Kampala, where he teaches English and French. He is a graduate of Makerere University, and studied at the University of Clermont Ferrand in France and at the CELAB of Bjumbura. His first novel, Cherished Dreams, was published by Macmillan (London), and he is at work on a second novel, Prominent Figures. Mr. Mugarra's work is notable for its control of language, and its humor and instinct for dealing with social issues and mores in a manner appealing to Ugandans and other readers in the Great Lakes region. Two of his plays, written in French, have been performed in Uganda, Burundi, and France. His participation in the IWP is provided by the U.S. Department of State.
(born 1957, Singapore) is the author of two short story collections, Tekad (1984) and 1859 (1999), as well as a selection of short fiction, poetry and essays, Prisma Seni (1995). A fourth compilation of short fiction, Mendonan, is forthcoming this year, along with Mr. Othman's first novel, Sam. He received Singapore's Golden Point Award twice, winning first prize in 1997 for Hashimoto-san. His work has also received recognition in Singapore's National Short Story Writing Competition. His stories have been translated into Chinese and English and anthologized in those languages. He and Heng Siok Tian are appointed to the Iowa Fellowship of the National Arts Council of Singapore.
(novelist, Burma; born 1957, Innwa) made her literary debut with the short story "A Little Sarong" in 1984, and has gone on to write over a dozen novels and four collections of short fiction and long short stories. Her first novel A Timid "What Can I Do for You" is a study of market vendors in Upper Burma, and her subsequent works have explored the lives of women, children, and urban and industrial workers in Myanmar. Her 1993 novel Emerald Green Blue Kamayut, depicting the urban poor, received Myanmar's National Literary Award. Her work has been put to the service of her country's most pressing societal needs; a play she wrote for the nongovernmental Population Service Centre in 1996 popularizes the use of iodine salt for goiter problems. Ms. Yee conducts lecture tours all over Myanmar. Her works have been translated into Japanese and English. She hold a BS from the University of Mandalay and a diploma in librarianship from the University of Yangon. She is taking part in the IWP through a grant from the Burma Project of the Open Society Institute. She writes under the name Nu Nu Yiy Inwa.
(born 1956, Nghe An Province) is the Hanoi bureau chief of the HCMC Women's Newspaper. When her stories began appearing in magazines in the early 1990's, the public rushed to read them, drawn by her original style, which is described as "a combination of observation, sympathy, strong feminism, and frankness and great courage in pinpointing social problems." She has written a large body of stories, many of which have been made into films and plays. Her work, which has been translated into English, French, and Japanese, has received major national recognition. Her work as a journalist is also notable for its strength and candor. Ms. Hao's publications include the short story collectionsThe Sea-Savior from Idleness (1991), Selected Collection of Short Stories (1996; recipient of the Vietnam Writers' Union's Five-Year Hanoi Literary Award); Held-Back Laughter (1998); The Owl's Sleep (1999; for young adults); The Green Goddess (2000; for children) and Horror Stories and The Devil's Night Party (forthcoming this year). Her participation is supported by the U.S. Department of State.
(born 1952, Nasarawa) is the national president of the Association of Nigerian Authors and chairman of the Concern Foundation and Savannah Publications Ltd. He is the author of several novels, including Witness to Tears; Trail of Sacrifice ; Innocent Victims; Sunset for a Mandarin, and Golden Apples. Mr. Gimba was previously executive director of the Union Bank of Nigeria and permanent secretary in Nigeria's Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning. He holds a master's degree in economics from the University of Cincinnati, and has traveled extensively throughout Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. He is taking part in the IWP on a grant from the U.S. Department of State.
(born 1961, Buenos Aires) is considered, at 39, is considered one of the most gifted young writers on the literary scene. His film, Silvia Prieto , which he wrote and directed, was entered in the Sundance Festival in 1999, as well as in festivals in Berlin, San Francisco and Munich. It has just been released commercially in Argentina to critical acclaim. His other feature length films, Rapado (Shaved Head; 1992), was entered in film festivals in Rotterdam, Havana, and Locarno. His fiction has been similarly well received, particularly Velcro y yo (Velcro and I; 1996) and Rapado (1992). His other publications include A Book ABout Kuitca, Thirty-Four Short Stories (1993). The IWP has hoped for his participation for several years, and he is taking part in the program this year through a grant from the U.S. Department of State.
(born 1954, Moscow) is the author of Lovets (2000), which was short-listed for the prestigious Russian "Anti-Booker" Prize. He received the Einsenstein Prize in German in 1994, and his short stories have appeared in his country's most distinguished journals. He is attending the IWP on a grant from the US Department of State.
U Thu Maung, also known as U Bala (fiction writer, Burma; b. 1951, Yangon) has written 32 novels, and numerous short stories and articles. He received the Mandalay literary award for ìMy Fatherís Motherî in 1999. The son of Burmese film director U Tha Du, Thu Maung has starred in 43 films and won Burmaís Academy Award for best actor in 1990; he has also directed five films. He embarked on a career as classical singer in 1975, and added pop music to his repertoire, becoming well known. He earned a degree in Diesel Engineering. Since 1996 he has devoted all his time to writing.
(b. 1959, Belgrade) is currently vice dean of the School of Painting at Belgrade's University of Arts; he is also lecturer in Studies of Culture and Gender at the Alternative Educational Network in Belgrade. Since 1980, Mr. Prodanovic has held more than thirty one-man exhibitions in the former Yugoslavia and in Europe. Most recent among his ten books are the short stories and travel fragments The Eye on the Road; two editions, also published in Croatia, of This Could Be Your Lucky Day; the novels Red Scarf, the Silk One and Dance the Monster on My Gentle Music. The US Department of State is providing his grant to the IWP.
(born 1959, La Plata), novelist and historian, writes for Argentina's most influential newspaper, ClarÌn, and is concurrently associate professor of 20th century history in the School of Journalism and Social Communication at the National University of La Plata. He is also the Buenos Aires correspondent for Jazz Notebooks magazine in Madrid and a member of the Argentine Association of Musicology. His most recent publications are: History of Dancing: from Tango Dancing Spots to Disco (1999), Diescepolo: an Argentine Biography (1997); Valentino in Buenos Aires: the Twenties and Show Business (1994). His book Jazz Down South was honored in 1995 by the National Secretariat of Culture in Argentina. ). He is taking part in the IWP through the US Department of State.
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