In cooperation with the prestigious International Writing Program (IWP) at the University of Iowa, the U.S. State Department’s Cultural Programs Division is pleased to announce an exchange opportunity for young writers from Arabic-speaking countries in the Middle East - Between the Lines (BTL). The Program will take place at the University of Iowa from June 22 to July 8, 2013 . These young writers will be immersed in one of the premier creative writing environments of the United States as part of an exchange that will broaden and sharpen their writing skills, deepen their understanding of American society, and build bridges with young American writers who will also participate in creative writing classes. Program activities will include writing workshops in both English and Arabic, seminars on literary topics, cultural visits, and other local events. At the culmination of the program, the students' writings (in both English and Arabic) will be collected into a printed booklet to be used for educational purposes.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA ALL STUDENTS MUST BE:
- Citizens, nationals or permanent residents qualified to hold a valid Egyptian passport.
- Between the ages of 16 and 19 as of June 22, 2013 and proficient in Arabic and English (reading, writing, and speaking).
- Demonstrate an interest in and ability to write creatively (fiction and/or poetry) and fully engage their imaginations in a variety of class settings.
All applicants are required to submit: a copy of passport or ID, updated CV , Contact Information Coversheet and all the following samples to ExchangesCairo@state.gov indicating the name of the program in the subject.
(a) 6-8 pages of creative work (poetry and/or fiction only) in English
(b) 6-8 pages of creative work (poetry and/or fiction only) in Arabic (different than the sample provided in
English)
(c) A statement of purpose (250 words maximum, in English) describing why creative writing is important to her/him and their life, and what he/she hopes to learn at our program in Iowa
(d) 2-5 pages of creative work (poetry and/or fiction ONLY) , in either language (Arabic or English), in response to one (1) of the following writing prompts:
- A person comes home and sees that someone new is moving into the apartment next to him/her. In the hallway is a giant cage with a colorful bird that talks, an open box full of shiny black shoes, and a strange machine the person has never seen before. The new neighbor’s door is open – what happens?
- Write a story or poem inspired by the following statement: “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.”
CONTACT INFORMATION:
For queries/ submissions: exchangescairo@state.gov
Website: http://iwp.uiowa.edu/
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