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, 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.
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.
2007 Resident
fiction writer
is a widely-published Czech prose writer. She received the Magnesia Litera Award in 2002 for her first novel, Zvuk slunecnich hodin (‘The Sound of the Sundial, 2001’) and went on to author a collection of short stories, Srdce na udici (‘Heart on a Hook,’ 2002). Her fiction has appeared in numerous journals and anthologies in Europe and the U.S., including World Literature Today. Currently, she works as an independent consultant in Prague. She participates courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
2007 Resident
fiction writer, poet
has authored three novels, most recently Equatoria (2006) and one collection of short stories, Polaroid (2007). Born in Cape Town, he publishes in English and Afrikaans. Among his awards is the 2001 Eug�ne Marais Prize from the South African Academy for Arts and Science for his second novel Stinkafrikaners (2000). His poems and prose have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies in South Africa. Currently, he is at work on his fourth novel, tentatively titled Benguela. 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, playwright
is widely-published prose writer and playwright in the Arab world. He has written and directed several plays and written documentary films for Egyptian TV. His debut novel, Black Magic (2005), was awarded the Sawiris Foundation Prize in Egyptian Literature in 2006. An English translation of the novel is forthcoming in 2007 from AUC Press. Currently, he directs the Research Department of Egypt’s Culture TV Channel. He participates courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
2007 Resident
fiction writer
(novelist, Germany) was born in Višegrad, Bosnia. In 1992, his family escaped the war and came to Germany. He has authored a novel, several audioplays, short stories, poems, essays and translations. How the Soldier Repairs the Gramophone, his first novel, was published in 2006 to wide acclaim. Translations into 21 languages are forthcoming. Stanisic is now working on a play and his second novel. More information about this author can be found here and here. He participates courtesy of the Max Kade Foundation.
2007 Resident
fiction writer
holds a degree in English literature from Yonsei University. She is the author of six novels, most recently ‘Gardenia and Mulberry in the Summer Days’ (2006). Among her awards is the 1997 Hankyoreh Literature Award, which she received for her fourth novel, ‘So Was I Once a Swinger of Birches.’ Her fiction has appeared in numerous journals and magazines. She participates courtesy of the Korean Literature Translation Institute.
2007 Resident
fiction writer, non-fiction writer, poet
works in a variety of literary genres. Among his best-known works are the novels Redang (1988) and Janji Paramaribo (1990), the short story collection Usia (2006), and the poetry volumes Gemaruang (1987) and Fantasi Malam (2007). He is currently at work on a new novel, Daun [‘The Leaf’]. His awards include an ESSO-GAPENA Literary Prize, a Public Bank Literary Award, the Berita Publications Literary Prize, and two Malaysian Literary Prizes. He participates courtesy of the Literary Bureau of Malaysia.
2007 Resident
fiction writer, poet
is a newspaper editor making a name as a satirist and novelist. Awarded the inaugural Okoth K’Obonyo Playwriting Competition in 1994, he attended the Mesa Refuge writing residency in California in 1999. His first novel, Before the Rooster Crows, was published in 2002 to wide acclaim. He is currently the managing editor of the national paper Saturday Times in Kenya, while working on his second novel. He participates courtesy of a private gift to the IWP.
2007 Resident
fiction writer
was born in Leningrad (USSR) and has been living in Israel since the age of 8. Widely translated, Epstein is the author of three collections of short stories, most recently Blue Has No South (2005) and three novels, most recently Dream Recipes (2002). Among his awards is the Prime Minister's Prize for Literature (2003). He writes literary reviews for several newspapers and teaches creative writing in Tel Aviv. He participates courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
2007 Resident
fiction writer, journalist, non-fiction writer
is the author of three novels, most recently Ratures aux Quotidiens [‘Daily Articles,’ 2004], which she co-wrote with Gaspard Dorélien. Her debut novel Testaman [‘The Will’] won First Prize in the 2002 Best Creole-Language Novel Contest sponsored by the newspaper Bon Nouvel in Port-Au-Prince. She participates courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State.
2007 Resident
children's author, editor, fiction writer
writes fiction for youth and adults. She lives in New Zealand's southernmost city of Dunedin where she works as an editor. Zillah, the final installment of her young adult Watermark trilogy, was published this year. A memoir, Digging for Spain, is forthcoming in 2008, and she is at work on a new novel for adults, tentatively titled On this Island. She participates courtesy of Creative New Zealand.
2004 Resident, 2007 Visitor
critic, fiction writer, poet, translator
(poet, writer, critic, translator; b. 1963, USSR; lives in Russia) earned a Ph.D. in engineering from Samara State Aerospace University, where he is currently an associate professor of aircraft engine design. Although he does not consider writing to be his principal occupation, he is extremely active in the Russian literary scene. Ulanov has over 250 publications to his credit, including works of poetry, short fiction, book reviews, articles on modern Russian literature, and translation works. He is participating courtesy of the US Congress Open World Program, and will be in Iowa City 9/16 to 9/30.
2007 Visitor
editor, fiction writer, non-fiction writer
Ekaterina TARATUTA (novelist, fiction writer, philosopher, editor; Russia) graduated from Novosibirsk State University, first from the Department of Linguistics, and then from the Department of Philosophy. She lectures on social philosophy at St. Petersburg State University, from where she received her PhD. She also works as a freelance columnist, and is regularly published in newspapers and both academic and non-academic journals. Taratuta’s Russian-language publications include works of fiction (‘One Hundred and One Minutes,’ 2007, ‘The General Hygiene of Dr. Andreas,’ forthcoming, ‘Fishes and Frogs,’ forthcoming), and an academic text titled ‘A Philosophy of Virtual Reality,’( 2007). She participates courtesy of the Open World Cultural Leaders Program.
2007 Visitor
fiction writer, journalist, non-fiction writer
Lindsay SIMPSON (novelist, journalist, non-fiction writer; Australia) spent twelve years as an investigative journalist with The Sydney Morning Herald and in 1999 was the founding member of the Journalism and Media Studies program at the University of Tasmania. Author of six books of non-fiction, she currently lectures on journalism and writing at James Cook University. In 2006 she published her first novel, The Curer of Souls. Her participation is partly funded by James Cook University.
2007 Visitor
fiction writer
Sergey SOLOUKH (prose writer; Russia) was trained as a mining engineer. He is the author of numerous works including the titles Papa Zappa (1997) and The Lonely Hearts Club of Hunter Prishibeyev, as well as three collections of short stories. For three successive years, he was awarded the prestigious Kazakov Prize (2003, 2004, and 2005). He lives in Siberia with his wife and two children, where he works as a business manager for a mining equipment production company. He participates courtesy of the Open World Cultural Leaders Program.
2007 Visitor
critic, fiction writer, poet, translator
grew up in Odessa. She has a degree in marine biology. Her first publication was in Yunost (Youth) in 1991. From 2000-2001, she was a regular columnist for Literatunaya Gazeta. She is currently a chief editor of Drugaya Storona (The Other Side), a non-commercial literature project, and a columnist for the magazine Znamya (Banner). Galina is the recipient of numerous literary awards, including the Novyi Mir Prize in 2005 and the prestigious Moskovski Schyot (The Moscow Tally) in 2006. Galina's novel, The End of Summer, is available in English translation from Glas publishers (2006, trans. Andrew Bromfield), and her novel Givi i Shenderovich (Givi and Shenderovich,) is forthcoming in English. She participates courtesy of the Open World Cultural Leaders Program.
2008 Resident
fiction writer
(fiction writer, Cyprus) has authored two short story collections: Αγκυστρωμένοι στα Φυστικοαμάξια μας [‘Hooked on those Ground-nut Cars of Ours’] (1998), which won the Young Writer’s State Prize from the Ministry of Education and Culture in Cyprus; and Τελετή Λήξης [‘Closing Ceremony’] (2000), the runner-up for Short Stories Prize from the same institution. Some of his stories have been adapted for short films, and his work appears regularly, especially the Phileleftheros newspaper. A member of the Nicosia Bar Association, Trillidis is a practicing lawyer. He participates courtesy of the Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education and Culture in Cyprus.
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