Alexandra PETROVA (poet, fiction writer; Russia/Italy) was born in Russia, lived in Jerusalem and currently resides in Rome. She is the author of three collections of poetry Линия Отрыва [Point of Detachment] (1994), Вид на жительство [Residence Permit] (2000), and Только деревья [Just the Trees] (2008). Her poems have appeared in Russian magazines: Znamia, Zvezda, and Zerkalo, in English in Literary Revue, Modern Poetry in Translation, Drunken Boat, Guernica, and many more. She has also written a play "Пастухи Долли" [Dolly's Shepherds, A Philosophical Play]. She was short listed for the Andrej Belyj award (2001, 2007) and she has received awards the "Migrante" European Poetry meeting (2006), Belgrade's Festival of Poetry Trceg TRG (2008), and the Torino Festival's Sixth Annual National Mother Language Literary Competition (2011). She is currently at work on her first novel. She participates courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
PHAN Hon Nhien (novelist, fiction writer; Vietnam) is the managing editor at SinhVien Vietnam magazine. The author of ten collections of short stories and seven novels, Phuong has published six books since 2009: the novels [Cold Eyes], [The Joker], [Azoth Necklace], and the short story collections [The Rain Gal], [A Dangerous Emotion], and [Left Wing], which won the 2010 Ho Chi Minh Writers Association Award. She participates courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
Usha K. R. (novelist, fiction writer, editor; India) is the author of four novels: Sojourn (1998), The Chosen (2003), A Girl and a River (2007), and Monkey-man (2010), of which A Girl and a River won the Vodafone Crossword Award for Fiction, and Monkey-Man was long-listed for the 2010 Man Asian Literary Prize. Her essays and short stories have been featured in magazines, newspapers, collections and anthologies, including the Katha Prize Stories Volume 5. She occasionally reviews books for the Deccan Herald and is the managing editor of IIMB Management Review, in Bangalore. She participates courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
Eugenia RICO (novelist; Spain) is the founder of the magazine Multiversidad. Her first novel Los amantes tristes [The Sad Lovers] (2000), was followed in 2002 by the Azorín Award- winning La muerte blanca [White Death], and La edad secreta [The Secret Age] in 2004. Her 2006 novel El otoño aleman [The German Autumn] won the Ateneo de Sevilla Award for Novel, and was her first work dedicated to the cycle of the Four Elements (Water); her latest work is Aunque seamos malditas [Even Though We Are Damned] (2008). Her articles and essays have been featured in Revista de Occidente, El País and El Mundo, and won the 2005 Spirituality Award and a UNICEF award. She is a recipient of the Valle-Inclán Fellowship from the Real Academia de España in Rome. Her participation is privately funded.
Josephine ROWE (fiction writer, poet; Australia) has worked variously as a lecturer, editor and curator of literary events. Her writing has appeared in numerous journals and anthologies, including Best Australian Poems (2005, 2006 & 2010), Best Australian Stories (2010), Overland, ABR and The Griffith Review, and her short story collection How a Moth Becomes a Boat was published in 2010. Her stories have been made into short films and performance pieces, and broadcast on Radio National's The Book Show and Poetica. She participates courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
Moshe SAKAL (novelist, fiction writer; Israel) is the author of a collection of short stories, התרחיש [The Scenario] and three novels (1997), האי אני [The Not-I] (2002), אחייך אליך, אחייך [I Smile at You] (2007), and יולנדה [Yolanda] (2011). He directs literary projects for the Israel Center for Books and Libraries in Tel Aviv, is a contributing editor at the literary journal הו! [Oh!], edits a culture blog (blog.moshesakal.com/), and regularly reviews books in Haaretz Daily newspaper. His English site: www.moshesakal.com His participation is made possible by the Fulbright Foundation of Israel.
Bina SHAH (novelist, fiction writer; Pakistan) is a Karachi-based journalist and fiction writer, and has taught writing at the university level. She is the author of two short story collections, Animal Medicine (1999) and Blessings (2007), and four novels: Where They Dream in Blue (2001), The 786 Cybercafe (2004), Slum Child (2009), and A Season For Martyrs (2010). Her work has been translated into Urdu, Spanish, and Italian. She has written extensively for international and Pakistani newspapers, including The Independent, The International Herald Tribune, Dawn, Libas, The Friday Times, and (online) at Chowk and Granta magazine. Her participation is provided courtesy of the U.S. Consulate General in Karachi.
Zoë STRACHAN (novelist, playwright; Scotland) teaches creative writing at the University of Glasgow, and is the author of the novels Negative Space (2002), Spin Cycle (2004) and Ever Fallen in Love (2011). Her work has appeared in the Sunday Herald, Bamberger Punkt 14 (Germany), Bordercrossing Berlin, The Big Issue, The Antigonish Review, The Scotsman Magazine, Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature's Explorer magazine, in the anthologies SHIFTS, The Research Club, Latitute, and New Writing 15, on BBC Radio and in other radio programs. The author of the plays Panic Patterns and Old Girls and the short opera Sublimation, she is at work on an adaptation of Ibsen's The Lady from the Sea for Scottish Opera's 2012 season. She has also collaborated on conceptual art, sound, and prose pieces. Her website is www.zoestrachan.com. She participates courtesy of the British Council.
Milagros SOCORRO (fiction writer, nonfiction writer; Venezuela) is the author of 13 books, including the short story collections Una atmósfera de viaje [A Journey’s Atmosphere] (1990) and Actos de Salvajismo [Acts of Wildness] (1999), and the novel El abrazo del tamarindo [The Embrace of the Tamarind Tree] (2008). Her work has appeared in numerous anthologies of Latin American literature, and she has edited 12 literary collections. She teaches journalism and creative writing at the Universidad Católica Andrés Bello, is the editor of the online news portal Código Venezuela, and contributes regularly to magazines and newspapers. She participates courtesy of the U.S. Embassy in Caracas.
Bilal TANWEER (fiction writer, poet, translator; Pakistan) teaches creative writing at Lahore University of Management Sciences. His short stories, essays, and poetry have been published by Granta, Critical Muslim, Life’s Too Short Literary Review: New Writing From Pakistan, Vallum, Dawn, The Express Tribune, The News on Sunday, and The Caravan (India); his translations from the Urdu have appeared in Words Without Borders and The Annual of Urdu Studies. In 2010 he received the PEN Translation Fund Grant for Chakiwara Chronicles by Muhammad Khalid Akhtar; in 2011 he was selected as a Granta New Voice. He participates thanks to a grant from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
Abdullah THABIT (poet, fiction writer; Saudi Arabia) is the author of six books, including the poetry collections [Ripping - ألهتك] (2009) and [Taboo CV – cv حرام] (2012), and the novel [The 20thTerrorist – الإرهابي20] (2006). His most recent novel, [The Face of the Sleeper - ,وجه النائم] was published earlier this year. He was named one of the Beirut39 Writers Under 39 at the 2009 Hay Festival. Currently he works at the Department of Education in Jeddah. His participation is provided courtesy of Beirut39 and the William B. Quarton Foundation.
Yaghoub YADALI (fiction writer; Iran) has directed for television and been the movie editor of Roshd magazine He is the author of the short story collection [Sketches in the Garden] (1997), the novel Adaab-e Bi-Gharari [The Rituals of Restlessness], which won the 2004 Golshiri’s Foundation Award, and of [Probability of Merriment and Mooning] (2001). The novel Donya [The World] is forthcoming, pending approval of the authorities. His short stories, articles, essays, and translations are widely published in Iran, and in Turkey.
Stephanie YE (fiction writer; Singapore) has been published in journals such as the Quarterly Literary Review Singapore, Mascara Literary Review, and Sci-Fi Short Story Magazine. Her first solo publication is a chapbook titled The Billion Shop, published by Math Paper Press in 2012. She has worked as a copyeditor, arts reporter, and book critic for The Straits Times. Ye’s participation was made possible thanks to a grant from the Singapore National Arts Council.
Mohib ZEGHAM (fiction writer, translator; Afghanistan) is a cardiologist practicing in Kabul, and the author of two short story collections, three children’s books, and the novels [The Suicide Bomber (Zanmargai ځانمرګی), 2009] and [The Order of the President (Da Olasmesher Farman د ولسمشر فرمان), 2012]. He regularly translates medical articles, children’s literature, and works of psychology into Pashto; he also directs the children’s-book publishing house Mosawer, and is the editor of the cultural magazine Sapida. He participates courtesy of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.
Nay Phone LATT (poet, fiction writer; Burma) is the author of the City I dropped down a collection of stories written during his four-year imprisonment. A blogger and activist, he has received the Reporters Without Borders’ Cyber-dissident Award and the PEN American Freedom to Write Award; in 2010, he was listed among Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. He edits the online magazine (Thanlwinainmat), www.thanlwin.com, and is the executive director of the NGO, Myanmar ICT for Development Organization (MIDO), www.myanmarido.org. He participates courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. His blog in English is en.nayphonelatt.com.
Khaled ALBERRY (novelist; Egypt) is the author of Life is More Beautiful Than Paradise (2001), an autobiographical account his life with a radical Islamist group. His 2010 novel [An Oriental Dance] was shortlisted for the Arabic Booker Prize; other novels include [Negative] (2004) and [The New Testament] (2011). Alberry has worked for the BBC as a journalist, correspondent and producer, and is currently a columnist for the Tahrir Newspaper. He participates courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
Taleb AL REFAI (fiction writer; Kuwait) has published seven collections of short stories, a play, a number of critical works, and four novels, including the controversial [The Shadow of the Sun] ( ظل الشمس ( in 1998. His 2002 [The Scent of the Sea] ) ( رائحة البحر won the Kuwait National Award for Arts & Literature. Trained as an engineer, Al-Refai has since joined the staff of the National Council for Culture, Art and Literature, where he manages the Culture and Arts Department. His articles appear regularly in the Al-Hayat and Al-Jarida Kuwaiti newspapers; in 2009 he chaired the Arabic Booker Prize for Fiction. He participates courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
Genevieve L. ASENJO (fiction writer, poet, translator; Philippines) is the author of four books including Lumbay ng Dila (The Melancholy of the Tongue), winner of the country’s 2011 National Book Award. Her short stories and poems have appeared in many magazines and anthologies. She translates into the Philippine languages Kinaray-a, Hiligaynon, and Filipino, and is the founder-director of Balay Sugidanun (Storytelling House). She is Associate Professor of literature and creative writing at De La Salle University-Manila. Her participation is made possible by a grant from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
Jana BEŇOVÁ (poet, fiction writer; Slovakia) has written three books of poetry: Svetloplachý (1993), Lonochod (1997) and Nehota (1997). Beňová has also published the short story collection Dvanásť poviedok a Ján Med (2003), an essay collection, and the novels Parker (2000) and Plán odprevádzania (Café Hyena) [Seeing People Off] (2008); her most recent novel, Preč! Preč! [Away! Away!] was published earlier this year. Beňová currently works as an editor at the Slovak Theatre Institute. Her participation is made possible by a grant from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
Matías CORREA (fiction writer; Chile) has taught philosophy, curated for an art gallery, has worked as a columnist for the supplement Zona de Contacto and the national daily El Mercurio, and is currently an editor at Groupon LatAm. His first novel, Geografía de lo inútil, was published in 2010. He is currently working on his second novel, Esto no es un libro de autoayuda. His participation is supported through a grant from the Universidad Finis Terrae.
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