, 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, 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, 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.
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, journalist
debuted in 2000 with The Days of Shaytaan, a novel depicting the void between emigrant parents and their westernized children, and has since written many short stories, including "Little Hamid," which won the El Hizjra Literary Prize. His most recent work, "Nobody has a Program for the Concert of Life," appeared in a collection of short stories from leading Dutch writers. He is writing a commissioned script for a film about derailed youth. He is participating courtesy of the US Department of State.
2005 Resident
fiction writer, non-fiction writer
first participated in the IWP in 1994. In his home country he is respected for his willingness to confront Austria’s past in writing that contemplates the last world war’s effects on Europe’s current social and political forces. Opernball (1995), a best-seller in Germany, was translated into thirteen language and adapted for television. A subsequent novel, Das Vaterspiel, portrays Holocaust survivors and perpetrators living in the United States. Currently professor of Literary Aesthetics at Leipzig University, he participates courtesy of Austrian Cultural Forum, and generous donations to the IWP Writers Fund.
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 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.
2006 Resident
critic, editor, fiction writer
was the youngest writer ever to receive the Russian Booker Prize in 1999 for his novel Freedom. His short stories, literary reviews, and other work have appeared in numerous Russian-language journals. In 2004, his short story “Relic” was anthologized in Five Russian Stories (USA). For the past ten years, he has served as Assistant to the Editor at Russia's main literary journal, Novi Mir. He consults for a number of Russian literary prizes, including the Bolshaia Kniga Award [Big Book], given for the most significant prose book of the year, and the Iu Kazakov Award for the year’s best story. He participates courtesy of the Open World Program.
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, translator
has worked as a journalist, translator, and advertising copywriter, mainly in the Sinhala language. After his retirement from copywriting, he joined the Beach Waadiya Writers Group of Colombo 6 and began writing short stories in English. In 2004 his collection, Kider Chetty Street, was awarded the prestigious Gratiaen Prize. He participates courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State.
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, 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
has published one novel, Thorsten Madsen’s Ego (2004), and Disorder of Things (2005), a collection of short stories. She was awarded the 2005 Discovery of the Year in Literature by Carlsbergfonden, and a major grant in 2006 from the Danish Art Foundation. She lives in Copenhagen, where she is a featured columnist and TV critic. She participates courtesy of the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen.
2006 Resident
fiction writer, non-fiction writer, translator
, a widely read young Indonesian prose writer, has had her 2005 short story collection, Laluba, named Best Literary Work of the Year by Tempo magazine, and her novel Cala Ibi (2003) shortlisted for the Khatulistiwa Literary Award. She is the co-translator for, and editor of several anthologies of poetry in translation. At present, she serves on the Committee of Literature at the Jakarta Arts Council. She participates courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State.
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