Previous Events

Under the Tongue: A Festival of Literatures from Afirca, April 2008
Poet Jack Mapanje and novelist Nuruddin Farah joined Brown University’s Graduate Program in Literary Arts and Watson Institute for International Studies in presenting “Under the Tongue: A Festival of Literature from Africa". In addition to the readings by Mapanje and Farah, the two-day festival also featured panels, talks, and readings by prominent African novelists, poets and playwrights, including Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Pierre Mumbere Mujomba and Charles Mulekwa. www.Brown.edu/underthetongue

Strange Times, My Dear: A Freedom-to-Write Literary Festival, November 2006
This four-day festival, celebrating the culture of Iranian novelist Shahryar Mandanipour, Brown's third International Writing Fellow, featured readings by Salman Rushdie, Orhan Pamuk, Mandanipour, and Shahrnush Parsipur, as well as panels, talks, music and films by prominent writers and artists from Iran and the Middle East.

Africana Film Festival, April 2005
Spring film forum including screenings and talks by prominent filmmakers from the African continent; curated by IWP Fellow Pierre Mujomba. (Co-sponsored by the Departments of Africana Studies and Modern Culture and Media).

The Envelope, December 2004
A reading and discussion of the work of IWP Fellow Pierre Mujomba. (Co-sponsored by the Department of Africana Studies)

Reader’s Night, November 2004
A panel discussion and readings by Ama Ata Aidoo, George Lamming and John Edgar Wideman. (Co-sponsored by the Department of Africana Studies)

Africa Group Reading, October 2004
Event featuring readings and talks by two South African writers, novelist Tony Eprile and poet Kelyn Sole. (Co-sponsored by the Committee for Slavery and Justice)

Iran and the U.S., May 2004
The awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Iranian lawyer Shirin Ebadi has drawn American attention to both the ongoing civil rights movement in the Islamic Republic and the part women are playing in securing those rights. This afternoon forum, held two days before President Ruth Simmons conferred upon Ms. Ebadi an honorary degree as part of Brown University's Commencement celebrations, focused on the cultural impediments to mutual U.S.-Iranian understanding and the roles that women such as Ms. Ebadi might have in helping to overcome them.

Michael Ondaatje, April 2004
Acclaimed novelist and poet Michael Ondaatje read from his work and held an afternoon conversation with the university community.

Culture Shock, March 2004
A week-long festival of events to explore the cultural and artistic heritage of Shahrnush Parsipur, the first IWP fellow, with presentations featuring women filmmakers, visual artists and writers from Iran, Palestine, Lebanon and Algeria.

Freedom to Write, November 2003
Major international writers Kamau Brathwaite and Wole Soyinka came to read and talk at Brown University to celebrate the creation of the IWP. Other participants in the inaugural events were Iranian novelist Shahrnush Parsipur, Joanne Leedom-Ackerman (novelist and vice president of PEN International) and Larry Siems (poet and director of Freedom to Write, PEN America).