Nanjing in partership with Iowa City Launched a UNESCO City of Literature Creative Writing Workshop
Dec 19, 2023
By ZHU Yidou Edited ZHAO Sifan
The Creative Writing and East-West Ecologies: USA-China IWP/UNESCO City of Literature Chinese-English Writing Workshop was inaugurated at Global Nanjing Literature Hall on 5th August, 2022. Both being UNESCO cities of literature, Nanjing and Iowa City cooperate with each other to actuate the progress of literature.
Bruce Teague, mayor of Iowa City, conveyed his welcome and hope of strengthening the bond between the two cities. Meanwhile, he suggested sharing words, ideas and stories with each other to urge a more thorough collaboration.
A representative from the UNESCO City of Literature program, John Kenyon, who also serves as Executive Director of Iowa City of Literature program, expressed his congratulations and greetings to the workshop.
Yuan Shuang, Director of Nanjing City of Literature, emphasized that this collaborative project would bring many great opportunities, and urged all participants to shape their mind with the perspective of poetry.
Christopher Merrill, Director of International Writing Program of the University of Iowa, expressed his expectation with a metaphor that seeds planted would sprout in the near future. He also brought regards from Nie Hualing who founded the International Writing Program and opened a window of east-west communication in literature.
Jonathan stalling, Professor of University of Oklahoma, will teach in the four sessions of workshop during four weeks of time. In each week, participants will focus on making a single book, respectively, “Book of Seed”,”Book of Mind”, “Book of rhyme”, and “Book of books”.
The whole activity was made not only to enhance people’s awareness and capability of writing poems, but also prompting international exchange and communication, which is undoubtedly crucial for a community of bright and shared future.