IWP Fall Residency 2019 (in Little Village)

FALL RESIDENCY SEPT. 1 – NOV. 17, 2019

MEET THE 2019 FALL RESIDENTS CONVERSATION WITH MOROCCAN WRITER SOUKAINA HABIBALLAH 11 WEEKS OF EVENTS

CONTENTS 4

“What I Do May Seem Foolish” A conversation between IWP Director Christopher Merrill and incoming Fall Resident Soukaina Habiballah

5-11

Meet the IWP Fall Residents

8

Fall Residency Showcase Events

11

IWP Mission Statement

The mission of the International Writing Program (IWP) is to promote mutual understanding by providing writers from every part of the world the necessary space, physical or imaginative, for creative work and collaboration in an intercultural setting.

Our mission is anchored in the values of freedom of expression and inclusiveness, and in the belief that creativity has the power to shape the world.

Books Loved by the Writers

We execute this mission by building enduring creative communities, encouraging cross-cultural dialogue, and supporting writers at all stages of their careers.

IWP FALL RESIDENCY STAFF

A Sincere Thank You To:

Director Christopher Merrill Associate Directors Hugh Ferrer Josie Neumann

Fall Residency Coordinator Saunia Powell

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the U.S. Department of State, the Paul and Hualing Engle Fund, the estate of William B. Quarton, Grinnell College, the Max Kade Foundation, the United States-Israeli Education Foundation, Arts Council Korea, the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation, the Ministry of Culture of Taiwan, the National Arts Council of Singapore, the U.S. Embassy in Lilongwe, the U.S. Consulate General in Johannesburg, and Drs. Ramon and Victoria Lim. Thanks also to our countless friends, supporters, and donors in the local community, at the University of Iowa, and beyond.

Fall Residency Assistant Sarah Elgatian

Communications Coordinator Allison Gnade

Editor

Nataša Ďurovičová

Admin. Services Coordinator Caitlin Plathe

Graduate Research Assistants Mac Gill Leigh Marshall

Undergraduate Research Fellows Joshua Balicki Mastura Ibnat Esmé Rummelhart

IWP Fall Residency guide designed by Little Village Creative Services 2 INTERNATIONAL WRITING PROGRAM 2019

Questions about the IWP Fall Residency?

Contact iwp@uiowa.edu or call (319) 335-0128 for more information.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact the International Writing Program in advance at (319) 335-0128.

ON THE COVER > IWP Women’s Creative Mentorship participant Sarah Ochwada from Kenya is part of the future of international writing. IWP’s programs lift voices around the world, highlighting and celebrating writers’ work and providing resources and opportunities for connection. Look for work from Sarah in the future, and please visit iwp.uiowa.edu and @UIIWP on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for more information on writers in the IWP community.

THE INTERNATIONAL WRITING PROGRAM 2019 FALL RESIDENCY

BY THE NUMBERS: 30 writers coming from 26 countries 87 days as writers-in-residence at the University of Iowa in Iowa City

The writers receive a one-of-a-kind intercultural opportunity with the time and space to write, read, translate, study, research, and travel Giving 11 weeks of free public events to this UNESCO City of Literature Countries represented in 2019: Algeria, Argentina, China, Czech Republic, Eritrea, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malawi, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, Zimbabwe Since 1967, 1,500+ writers from 150+ countries have participated in IWP’s prestigious residency

WEEKLY IWP FALL RESIDENCY EVENTS SEPTEMBER 6 – NOVEMBER 15, 2019 FRIDAYS

SUNDAYS

IWP Panel Discussion Series Noon-1PM

IWP Prairie Lights Reading Series 4-5PM

Sept. 13 & 27; Oct. 4, 11, & 25; Nov. 1 & 15 at Iowa City Public Library, Meeting Room A, 123 S. Linn St., Iowa City

Sept. 8, 15, & 29; Oct. 6, 20, & 27; Nov. 3 & 10 at Prairie Lights Bookstore, 15 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City

Sept. 20 at Riverside Theatre, 213 N. Gilbert St., Iowa City Join the community conversation over free pizza! Fall Residents will discuss topics from “Writing on the Road” to “Language on the Fault Lines.” See p. 8 for details.

IWP Shambaugh House Reading Series 5-6PM Last year, one in seven writers was able to take part in the IWP Fall Residency thanks to private donations.

A donation to the IWP will help bring exceptionally talented and at-risk writers to the Residency, or give a young writer-to-be the opportunity to pursue their dreams through an IWP summer writing program.

Please consider making a donation to the IWP at givetoiowa.org/2020iw99

Sept. 6, 13, 20, & 27; Oct. 4 & 25; Nov. 8 at the IWP’s Shambaugh House, 430 N. Clinton St., Iowa City Iowa City’s best multilingual reading series with bagels. Voices from around the world fill historic Shambaugh House, IWP HQ.

The IWP and UI MFA writing programs take over the 2nd floor of Prairie Lights – grab a glass of wine or a fancy soda and settle in for an hour of highlights from three of the writers’ best works.

IWP Cinematheque 7-9PM Sept. 8, 15, 22, & 29; Oct. 6, 20, & 27; Nov. 3 & 10 at FilmScene (Ped Mall location), 18 E. College St., Iowa City A new free film every Sunday!

Tour the far reaches of global cinema through films created or chosen by the IWP Fall Residents.

Free and open to the public, just like the rest of IWP’s events. Stay for a Q&A after the screening.

For IWP Showcase Events and details, turn to p. 8, visit iwp.uiowa.edu/residency/events & follow us at @UIIWP INTERNATIONAL WRITING PROGRAM 2019 3

WHAT I DO MAY SEEM FOOLISH A conversation between International Writing Program (IWP) Director Christopher Merrill (CM) and incoming IWP Fall Resident Soukaina Habiballah (SH) from Morocco: CM: How did you come to writing? Where did you find models or inspiration for the writing life?

SH: I came to writing from a family of engineers, who divided books into three types: books of religion, books of science, books that spoil the heart and mind. The last category was stories (fiction), and that was exactly what I wanted with all my might. For them, since imagination can’t be measured using a calculator, it seemed dangerous. I read and wrote for a long time in hiding, engrossed in the feeling of doing a disgraceful act.

There was a fountain in the square in my city. In this square, swarms of pigeons used to go down and drink water or just enjoy its sound.

Then one day, the big arena was sold to an investment company. A large building was built, but they kept the fountain inside, in the reception lobby.

Swarms of pigeons kept trying in various ways to return to their original place. You could see feathers everywhere, and at times you could hear the sound of their bones cracking in one of the air conditioners. Somehow, I understand these pigeons. What I do may seem foolish, but I am set on 4 IWP 2019

finding the sound of the water behind all these cold cement walls. I know that the water flows there. No one can convince me otherwise.

CM: Around the world, the role of women in society is changing, and Morocco is no exception. Do you intend for your writing to contribute to that cultural shift in Morocco? And if so, how?

SH: The word katiba, or “female writer” in our dialect, never refers to the act of writing itself, rather it stands for “secretary.” This is due, perhaps, to the fact that in our community the secretary was the first woman to conquer words. We don’t have a rich history of Moroccan literature written by women – can you imagine: the first book published [in Morocco] by a woman was in 1967! (A short story collection written by Khnata Bennouna.) So, from my point of view, by the mere fact of writing books, I help add a small stone to the road, for the subsequent writers who will be better able to follow this same path.

CM: Morocco is a multilingual country; a crossroads of cultures.

Does writing in Arabic hold specific importance?

SH: As a Moroccan, when I write in Arabic, I write in my second language (even in the Constitution, Arabic and Amazigh are the official languages of our country). My first language isn’t Amazigh, it is Darija, the Moroccan dialect, a combination of Arabic, Amazigh, Portuguese, Spanish, and French. I love Amazigh poetry and it hurts me that it is still mostly oral.

Later, if it is not documented, it will be forgotten.

When I think about it, I find that I had many choices of languages, but my heart chose Arabic. This language is written from right to left; where you find a specific dual pronoun (muthana),

2019 IWP FALL RESIDENTS the words in it hold tight to each other and make, as one Chinese writer who has learned Arabic says, a small army of ants on paper. I love how musical Arabic language is. And I cannot get enough of the very unique poetry written in this language 1500 years ago.

CM: How has motherhood changed your writing and writing life?

SH: I was not the kind of girl who wished to grow up to become a mother.

Maybe that’s because I grew up among four boys and was the only girl. But when I gave birth to my son, I probably felt the feeling of that first mountain when the first caveman dug into it and found warmth inside. I was that mountain which had lived all its life as a mountain, something solid and impervious to the wind, which suddenly turned into a home, to a source of safety. The mountain now listens to the voices of its inhabitants, feels their presence, breathes through the souls that now exist within it.

Before, storms didn’t scare it, but now, a simple cold breeze can freak it out.

Our memories go back, at the most, to when we were three or four years old, similar in some ways to entering a movie theatre ten minutes after the movie has begun. Sadly, we miss so much of the plot in those ten minutes. Fortunately, motherhood has allowed me to go back and see these ten minutes very carefully.

I am happy to say that I learn every day from my child. A few days ago I saw my child moving his fingers as if he were writing on an invisible keyboard, mimicking me when I sit down to write on my computer. When he heard my giggles, he showed me his movements from afar, like the puppe-

teer of a marionette. I smiled gratefully and murmured to him: Yes, my little one, that’s writing. Moving dolls.

CM: This residency at Iowa City’s IWP will mark your first time to the U.S. What are you most looking forward to while you are here?

SH: But perhaps I have been to the United States before in another way. I entered the house of Emily Dickinson through a window in a poem, I heard the voice of the Mississippi in William Faulkner’s novel, I walked down the street with Kerouac and glorified the truth with Maya Angelou and looked closely at life from the coffee shop where Updike was sitting. But this time I will be completely in the United States, seeing the country, the people, the many cultures, with my own eyes. I want to take a lot of pictures, stories, friendships, and art back with me to Morocco to be the inspiration for future poems and books.

“WRITING POETRY IS AN ATTEMPT TO GRAB THE AIR. YET, I INSIST ON POETRY.”

ROY CHICKY ARAD

‫( רועי צ ’יקי ארד‬poetry, fiction,

journalism, drama; Israel) is a musician and activist, as well as a well-regarded writer.

His 2010 short story collection The Israeli Dream is hailed as “one of the ten greatest Israeli books of the twenty-first century” (Mako). Arad’s writing and filmmaking address social issues in Israel, and also play with lighter topics. He participates courtesy of Fulbright Israel.

CM: What are you working on now? And what will likely be your focus during your time in Iowa?

SH: About a month ago, I took part in a program of the Dubai International Writing Program to work on my first children’s book, and I’ll continue working on it during my stay in Iowa.

I have also begun a creative nonfiction book about the history of motherhood in Morocco, through the lens of three women in my family: my grandmother, my mother, and myself. I hope to reflect a very important period in the history of Morocco through these three stories. And I will also be editing a short story collection for publication while I am in Iowa.

TAKAKO ARAI 新井 高子 (poetry, nonfiction; Japan) aligns herself with those struggling on the fringes of society, writing poetry that focuses on marginalized communities. Her work is at the leading edge of contemporary Japanese poetry: exciting, diverse, socially-conscious narratives that defy boundaries, and linger in the memory.

INTERNATIONAL WRITING PROGRAM 2019 5

2019 IWP FALL RESIDENTS

MANUEL BECERRA (poetry; Mexico) grapples with racism and socioeconomic disparity in his widely anthologized poetry. Winner of six national poetry prizes, he often augments his poetry with music and engages in community outreach, promoting the creation of book clubs for Mexican youth.

Turn to p. 11 for his reading recommendation.

CHAN LAI KUEN 陳麗娟 (poetry, essay; Hong Kong) is a popular blogger and poet known as “Dead Cat” whose work is praised for being honest, macabre, and hopeful. She is a public speaker and teacher, and her interdisciplinary works often include visual art. She participates courtesy of the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation. Turn to p. 11 for her reading recommendation.

BATSIRAI CHIGAMA (poetry, fiction; Zimbabwe) is a literary activist passionate about writing and publishing narratives outside of the mainstream. She teaches performance and creative writing workshops in schools around the globe. Chigama’s work is widely anthologized and often deals with the economic and social struggles particular to women in Zimbabwe.

CLARA CHOW 赵燕芬 (drama, journalism; Singapore) co-founded the online literary and art journal WeAreAWebsite.com, and teaches creative writing and workshops on zines and topics like “Writing as Resistance.”

Her plays Birth Days and Make Sure were produced by TheatreWorks Singapore. She participates courtesy of the National Arts Council of Singapore’s International Arts Residency Initiative. Turn to p. 11 for her reading recommendation.

BUDDHISAGAR (fiction, drama, poetry; Nepal) has written three novels and one poetry collection, including 2010’s best selling कर्नाली ब्लज ु [Karnali Blues], an English translation of which is in the works. That same year, he won the National Talent Award by the Nepali government. Buddhisagar regularly works with a program called BookBus, which brings library access to rural communities around Nepal.

CHAN PING CHIU (drama; Hong Kong) is a veteran theatre director and currently artistic director of the On and On Theatre Workshop. With a long history founding and developing educational and experimental theatre, he received the Hong Kong Arts Development Council’s Best Artist (Drama) in 2013. He participates courtesy of the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation.

SHADRECK CHIKOTI (fiction; Malawi) is a leading figure in speculative fiction in Malawi. He runs Pan African Publishers and the Story Club, where artists and art fans of all media gather to discuss and celebrate art. He founded Kenyenyeva Ministry, which feeds and educates vulnerable children, and the Feminart Arts and Book Festival. He participates courtesy of the U.S. Embassy in Lilongwe.

CARLOS GAMERRO (fiction, translation, nonfiction; Argentina) has authored six novels, his stories have been adapted for stage, and his script Tres de corazones [Three of Hearts] was made into a feature film in 2007. Gamerro has also translated seminal works into Spanish including Shakespeare, Auden, and Harold Bloom. An IWP resident in 2008, he returns courtesy of Grinnell College.

6 INTERNATIONAL WRITING PROGRAM 2019

Writers participate in the IWP Fall Residency courtesy of a range of funders. When not otherwise noted, they participate courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.

JAEHOON KIM 김재훈 (drama, translation; South Korea) considers himself a student of the Theater of the Absurd. His acclaimed plays, noted for working with serious subjects in lighthearted ways, reach broad audiences in South Korea. A graduate of the University of Iowa’s Theatre Arts Program, he returns courtesy of Arts Council Korea.

EFE DUYAN (poetry, translation; Turkey) teaches architectural history and co-directs the Gaziantep Poetry Festival. The author of three poetry volumes and a forthcoming debut novel, he is a passionate advocate for creative expression and the power of literature to bring people together.

His poetry has been translated into 29 languages. Turn to p. 11 for his reading recommendation.

MADARA GRUNTMANE’s (poetry; Latvia) work has been called “fresh, expressive, and provocatively open.” She is the recipient of the 2016 Latvian Literature Reader’s Choice Award for her first book of poems, Narkozes [Narcoses], and of the 2019 Annual Public Broadcasting Culture Award for Best Literary Work.

TADE IPADEOLA (poetry, translation, prose; Nigeria) has received, among other awards, the prestigious Nigeria Prize for Literature for his poetry collection The Sahara Testaments. He translates poets such as W.H. Auden and Tomas Tranströmer into Nigeria’s indigenous languages and he was a fellow at the Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio residency. Turn to p. 11 for his reading recommendation.

STEFANIE DE VELASCO (fiction; Germany) debuted with her novel Tigermilch [Tiger Milk], a critical and commercial success that won the Prenzlauer Berg Literary Award, and has been adapted for stage and made into a feature film. She has an MFA in cultural anthropology and political science, and participates courtesy of the Max Kade Foundation.

RÓBERT GÁL (poetry, fiction; Czech Republic), a literary editor and publisher, creates work deeply rooted in philosophy. He collaborates with a wide range of artists in Europe and the U.S. including composers, filmmakers, and visual artists, such as photographer Viktor Kopasz for their book Uzly [Knots].

SOUKAINA HABIBALLA ‫ةنيكُس‬ ‫( هللابيبح‬poetry, fiction, drama; Morocco) responds to changing gender and class politics in her widely-awarded work, which includes most recently the short film [Who Left the Door Open?].

She’s an instructor for The Olive Writers, a Moroccan writing program inspired by IWP’s Between the Lines summer camp.

Turn to p. 4 for an interview with her and p. 11 for her reading recommendation.

AMIRA-GÉHANNE KHALFALLAH (drama, fiction, journalism; Algeria) left her job in journalism four years ago to immerse herself in creative writing.

She has also scripted and directed two short films, appearing at international literary and film events in Greece, Italy, France, and Senegal; a feature film is in development.

CONTINUE ON P. 9 >>

INTERNATIONAL WRITING PROGRAM 2019 7

FRIDAYS AT THE IOWA CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY, MEETING ROOM A., 123 S. LINN ST., IOWA CITY

IWP PANEL SHOWCASE SERIES EVENTS

READING BY IWP 2010 ALUM CHANDRAHAS CHOUDHURY Thursday, Sept. 26, 7PM Prairie Lights Bookstore, 15 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City Indian novelist, journalist, and literary omnivore Chandrahas Choudhury writes about global publishing, Indian mythologies, Chinese cooking in Persian neighborhoods, and more.

He’ll read from his new novel, Clouds.

WRITING AND… Friday, Sept. 13, Noon-1PM Many writers have a job in some industry other than writing.

How does one balance the two professions? Are they connected, and if so, how does writing contribute to the “day job,” or vice versa? Is being a full-time writer the ideal situation, or is there value in having another profession?

READING BY IDA BEAM DISTINGUISHED VISITING PROFESSOR KEI MILLER Thursday, Oct. 3, 7PM Iowa City Public Library, Meeting Room A, 123 S. Linn St., Iowa City Jamaican poet, novelist, short story writer, and broadcaster Kei Miller will read from and discuss his newest works. Miller joins us as an Ida Beam Distinguished Visiting Professor.

WORLD ON STAGE VS. WORD ON PAGE Friday, Sept. 20, Noon-1PM * Special Location: Riverside Theatre, 213 N. Gilbert St., Iowa City How does a playwright’s creation process differ from that of other writers, or other writing? When is the work finished? How do the collaborations of performance impinge on the play, viewed as literature?

LANGUAGE ON FAULT LINES Friday, Sept. 27, Noon-1PM In our ever-more-hybrid world, translation and polylinguality are now ubiquitous. Languages live side by side and commingle; new words, accents, grammars, forms of data, are surging everywhere. A writer may switch between languages within a piece of work, or may, like Ngugi wa’ Thiongo, deliberately refuse to avail herself of a major language for the benefit of a minor one. We’ll hear from those who live and create on a linguistic fault line.

WRITING THE NOT-SELF Friday, Oct. 11, Noon-1PM

Flip back to p. 3 ly for IWP’s week reading & film schedule

Writers often create characters different from themselves. When such a character “belongs” to a distinct, recognizable group— perhaps a minority—challenges may arise. What is the writer’s responsibility toward representing the “other” accurately? What effort in understanding, empathy, research may be needed?

GLOBAL EXPRESS: STORIES ON STAGE Friday, Oct. 11, 8PM Theatre B, UI Theatre Building, 200 N. Riverside Dr., Iowa City Students from the University of Iowa Department of Theatre Arts perform a train of theatrical readings of moving literary works

by Fall Residents.

WORDS DANCE: AN IWP & UI DANCE COLLABORATION

2019 IWP FALL RESIDENTS

Friday, Nov. 1, 8PM Space/Place Theatre, North Hall 20 W. Davenport St., Iowa City Graduate student choreographers at the University of Iowa Department of Dance take the work of IWP writers beyond words.

SANTIAGO LOZA (drama, fiction; Argentina) is a co-founder of the Elefante Theater Club in Buenos Aires.

His films have been awarded for their honest depictions of LGBTQIA+ themes. Loza was a Cannes Film Festival Resident in 2006, and four years later his film Los Labios [The Lips] was a Cannes Official Selection.

SPEAKING FREELY? Friday, Oct. 4, Noon-1PM During the Iowa City Book Festival By definition, being a writer depends on having speech be free. Yet freedom of speech is understood and valued very differently across historical moments, cultures, and contexts: the concept of “hate speech” stands in sharp contradiction to that of “freedom of expression.” What is a writer’s responsibility in the domain between these two poles?

ON THE BODY

ON THE ROAD

IMAGES OF AMERICA

Friday, Oct. 25, Noon-1PM

Friday, Nov. 1, Noon-1PM

Friday, Nov. 15, Noon-1PM

A person’s body affects the way they navigate the world, and their experiences in it.

How much power does a body (pertaining, for instance, to race, gender, sexuality, physical ability) have over (or in) an artist’s work?

And, with what means can a writer navigate issues the body can present?

How does travel-induced anxiety, inspiration, or memories made on-the-go influence the writing process?

What persona emerges as daily routines disappear? Are there forms and genres more suited to a writer on the move?

The closing chapter of our weekly community conversation panel series is an opportunity to hear the Residents’ brief – but often poignant – observations, in an ‘open mic’ format, on their experiences in the United States.

More events & details: Follow us at @UIIWP or visit iwp.uiowa.edu/residency/events

TAUTVYDA MARCINKEVIČIŪTĖ (poetry, translation; Lithuania) received the Poetry Spring National Poet Laureateship in Lithuania, among many other awards. Her work explores the intricacies of pressing social issues with courage, clarity, and linguistic dexterity. She participates courtesy of the Paul and Hualing Engle Fund.

IWP 2019 9

2019 IWP FALL RESIDENTS

SAMUEL MENGHESTEAB ሳሙኤል መንግስትኣብ (fiction, nonfiction, drama, poetry; Eritrea) is passionate about creating a culture around Tigrigna language literature, co-founding and editing several Tigrigna magazines and newspapers including Tsedal, an arts, culture, and social issues journal. Menghesteab is also writer and assistant director of the popular Eritrean TV series MerAakha YerAyeni.

MARTHA MUKAIWA (nonfiction, fiction, journalism; Namibia) is an arts and culture journalist and an outspoken activist for marginalized groups, including post-apartheid black Namibians, women, and the LGBTQIA+ community. Her writing on Black identity and travel has been published internationally to acclaim.

NILAY ÖZER (poetry; Turkey) has written poems commissioned by the Gezi Park Protests, published many books of poetry, received her MA and PhD in Turkish Literature, and teaches at Beykoz University.

She is a visiting scholar for the academic year, hosted by the UI’s MFA in Literary Translation, and sponsored by the Turkish Institute of Advanced Studies.

BEN SOHIB (fiction, essay, drama; Indonesia), author of the two-part novel The Da Peci Code and Rosid dan Delia, has had his work adapted to the screen following its popular print debut.

At the 2010 Indonesian Film Festival, Sohib won an award for Best Screenplay for the film adaptation, as well as the Best Film award.

AMANDA MICHALOPOULOU Αμάντα Μιχαλοπούλου (fiction; Greece) has published many novels and short stories. Her literary awards include the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts International Literature Prize for I’d Like, called “metafiction at its finest.” Michalopoulou participates courtesy of an anonymous gift to the IWP.

WALIS NOKAN (poetry, prose, fiction; Taiwan) is an activist for Taiwan’s aboriginal cultures, blending songs and rhythms into his work, and founded an organization and periodical to rebuild the culture of indigenous groups. His many awards include the Wu Zhuo-liu Literature Prize. He participates courtesy of the Ministry of Culture, Taiwan. Turn to p. 11 for his reading recommendation.

GABRIELA ROMÁN (drama, poetry, fiction, translation; Mexico) is a playwright, director, and actress, with plays staged throughout Mexico. Román gives writing workshops at prestigious universities throughout Mexico and is widely anthologized and published in Mexico and Central America. She participates thanks to an endowed gift from William B. Quarton.

THAWDA AYE LEI (fiction, nonfiction; Myanmar) is a journalist turned advocate whose work focuses on gender equality and women’s changing roles in society. She has published three novels, a short story anthology, and has recently been examining the representation of women in media since the removal of press censorship in Myanmar. Turn to p. 11 for her reading recommendation.

10 INTERNATIONAL WRITING PROGRAM 2019

BOOKS LOVED BY THE WRITERS INCOMING IWP FALL RESIDENTS RECOMMEND BOOKS THAT HAVE SHAPED THEM AS WRITERS:

YAMKELA TYWAKADI (fiction, nonfiction; South Africa) is the author of 15 volumes of fiction and children’s literature. She is a publisher, songwriter, and founder of Blank Page Edu, which develops mobile apps and board games. She also writes and performs her own folktales.

Tywakadi participates courtesy of the U.S. Consulate General in Johannesburg. Turn to p. 11 for her reading recommendation.

NICK RONGJUN YU 喻荣军 (drama, China) is among China’s most produced living playwrights, with feature films, and television and radio series to his credit. A director of the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center, and of theatre and comedy festivals, he has shifted Shanghai theater from “white collar” classical to more accessible themes guiding the human experience. He participates courtesy of the Paul and Hualing Engle Fund.

‫حجرالا ىلع ةميغ ببسب‬.

[MOST LIKELY BECAUSE OF A CLOUD]

by Wadīʻ Saʻādah “A poetic archive of 30 attempts to restore an old life by looking deeply and thoroughly at the rubble until it turns into a home. When I read this poetry collection 12 years ago, it held my hand and helped me get through days filled with doubts.” – Soukaina Habiballah, p. 4 & 7 THE MINISTRY OF MORAL PANIC: STORIES

by Amanda Lee Koe (IWP 2013, Singapore) “Koe, the youngest winner of the Singapore Literature Prize, gave me hope to write for a wider, international audience. She proves that engaging in Singaporean themes and settings does not have to mean state-mandated narratives of racial harmony and cultural melting-pot references only.” – Clara Chow, p. 6 POESÍA COMPLETA

by José Watanabe “The poetry of Watanabe, a Peruvian poet, is written with a deceptive simplicity. Each poem is a lesson in how to make poetry. They do not seek to teach conventionally, but do so through slow revelation, slow vision, and intuition. In reading Watanabe’s poetry, something grows within us, something that will blossom time after time again.” – Manuel Becerra, p. 6 THE PILLOW BOOK

by Sei Shōnagon “To me, the author’s essays and musings in free-form prose epitomize the beauty of Heian Japan, inspiring my prose writing in both form and its attention to the beauty found in daily life.” – Chan Lai Kuen, p. 6

WE NEED NEW NAMES

by NoViolet Bulawayo “I love her unconventional style of writing.

She does not follow nor abide with any grammatical rules, however, her work is phenomenal. This book has given me permission to apply freedom when I am writing.” – Yamkela Tywakadi, p. 11 WALKING WORDS [LAS PALABRAS ANDANTES]

by Eduardo Galeano “This is one of Galeano’s masterpieces, a fictional account of native Uruguayans, known by Galeano because it is the story of his people. It is not only the West that writes about the plight, joy, and speculation of individuals.” – Walis Nokan, p. 10 FREEDOM AT MIDNIGHT

by Dominique Lapierre & Larry Collins “I have found many lessons in this nonfiction historical book about the split of India on the night it gained independence; particularly about the fall of a nation and the state’s failure because of hatred based on racial conflicts.” – Thawda Aye Lei, p. 10 POEMS of Nâzim Hikmet “Hikmet is the most wellknown and controversial figure of modern Turkish poetry, simultaneously political and avant-garde.” – Efe Duyan, p. 7 RIDERS TO THE SEA

by John Millington Synge “In this tragic play, the sea itself assumes the status of a character, much like the hill or the river does in the animist storytelling tradition with which I was raised. It explains, in part, why I made the Sahara a central character in my own long poem.” – Tade Ipadeola, p. 7

INTERNATIONAL WRITING PROGRAM 2019 11

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Cut out and fold the fortune teller.

Hold it with your fingers in the petals and ask a partner to pick one of the 4 options on display. Open and close the number of times indicated. Repeat, then open the flap and read aloud. Swap!