Media Note
Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
November 13, 2007
Writers from Argentina, Bulgaria, India, Montenegro, and Syria to Read from their Works at Library of Congress
We are pleased to announce that five talented writers from the distinguished International Writing Program of the
University of Iowa will read from their works at the Library of Congress (James Madison Building, 6th floor Mumford
Room, 101 Independence Avenue SE, Washington, DC) at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 15.
Featured writers will include:
* Elena Bossi of Argentina - A poet, essayist, literary critic and editor, whose work has been published in numerous
magazines and journals. She has written a collection of poetry, titled in translation, "Rags" (1990), and several
volumes of literary criticism, most recently "Magical Beings of Argentina" (2007).
* Aziz Shakir-Tash of Bulgaria - A poet, fiction writer and translator, who works in Arabic, Turkish and English as a
scholar and writer. He has written three books of poetry, most recently "A Sky at 33" (2007), and one collection of
short stories, "Rain Apocrypha" (2004).
* Kavery Nambisam of India - A novelist, fiction writer, essayist, and surgeon, who currently runs a Medical Center for
workers in Maharashtra and a Learning Center for their children in Maharashtra. She has written five novels, most
recently "The Hills of Angheri"(2005) and several children's books.
* Ognjen Spahic of Montenegro - A fiction writer, who studied civil engineering and philosophy at the University of
Montenegro. He has written the novel, "Hansen's Children" (2004), and two collections of short stories, "All That"
(2001) and "Winter Search" (2007).
* Khaled Khalifa of Syria - A screenwriter and novelist, who has written extensively for film and television and
authored three novels, titled in translation, "The Guard of Deception" (1993), "The Gypsy Notebooks" (2000), and "In
Praise of Hatred" (2006).
Through a grant to the University of Iowa, the Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs supports the
participation of eighteen writers in the International Writing Program, with U.S. embassies supporting additional
participants.
The program, which has welcomed over 1,000 writers from more than 100 countries, introduces writers to American life and
provides them with the time and setting to produce literary work, conduct research, and engage in cultural exchange with
U.S. audiences and the literary community.
2007/1003
Released on November 13, 2007
ENDS