Join us for the International Writing Program's Prairie Lights Reading Series this Sunday to hear readings by two 2024 Fall Residency writers and one University of Iowa MFA student.

Yassin Adnan (poet, fiction writer, editor, television presenter; Morocco) is the author of six poetry collections, three short story collections, one novel, and one book about travel. The novel, Hot Maroc, was published in English by Syracuse University Press in 2021. Adnan serves as president of the Marrakech English Book Festival and as a member of the board of trustees of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction. The founder of two literary magazines, he has also hosted two cultural television programs, one radio show, and one podcast. He is the editor of various titles, including the anthology Marrakech Noir (2018). His participation was made possible by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. 

Lisa Allen-Agostini (fiction writer, poet, editor; Trinidad and Tobago) is the author of the historical noir novella Death in the Dry River (2024), the young adult novel Home Home (2020), and the domestic noir novel The Bread the Devil Knead (2021), which was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2022. She is currently working on a memoir in poetry and a novel set in the world of steelpan, which is the national instrument of her homeland. Her participation was made possible by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.

Victoria Sanchez is a poet who lives in the American Southwest and is currently attending the Iowa Writers' Workshop. Her work has been published by The Harvard Advocate and the Academy of American Poets.

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 IWP in advance at iwp@uiowa.edu or 319-335-0128.