Exiled Writers From Syria And Bangladesh Speak At USJ

The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) and the World Affairs Council(WAC) in partnership with the City of Asylum, Pittsburgh PA will present a moderated dialogue entitled, "Writer-in-Exile," celebrating America's Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press.

Exiled writers Tuhin Das of Bangladesh, Osama Alomar from Syria and City of Asylum's Nathan Deron will be in dialogue with USJ Professor of History and Political Science, Ken Long. Dr. Shyamala Raman, USJ Professor Emerita of International Studies and WAC Honorary Board member will give opening remarks.

The event is free of charge and will take place on April 24, 2018 at USJ, Bruyette Athenaeum, 1678 Asylum Ave, West Hartford at 6pm. Mr. Das and Mr. Alomar both live at and are supported by the Pittsburgh, PA non-profit City of Asylum.

"Journalists, writers, and political commentators are under siege in many parts of the world - as is the freedom of the press itself. This is a critical discussion to be held in our community and one not to be missed," Megan C. Torrey, Chief Executive Officer, World Affairs Council of CT

"The Autorino Center for the Arts and Humanities focused the 2017-18 academic year on stories of migration and forced migration. As our final event of the season we are thrilled to present Writers-in-Exile, a free discussion with an amazing pair of writers and the expertise of our faculty," Steven Raider Ginsburg, director, Autorino Center.

Osama Alomar was born in Damascus, Syria in 1968 is one of the most well-respected Arabic poets writing today, and a prominent practitioner of the Arabic al-qisa al-qasira jiddan, the "very short story." He is the author of Fullblood Arabian in English, and three collections of short stories and a volume of poetry in Arabic. Alomar's first full-length collection of stories, The Teeth of the Comb is published by New Directions. His short stories have been published by Newyorker.com, Noon, Conjunctions.com, The Coffin Factory, Electric Literature, and The Literary Review. He also performs as a musician.

Tuhin Das (Bangladesh) is a poet, activist, political columnist, short story writer and essayist. He was born and raised in Barisal, Bangladesh. He is the author of seven poetry books in his native language (Bengali). He was involved in the Little Magazine Movement and edited a few literary magazines; he's had contemporary poetry criticism articles, short stories and political columns published in the last fifteen years in Bangladesh.

Since 2013, he has been the target of fundamentalist militant groups who have murdered secular writers and activists in Bangladesh. Instead of protecting him, the police collected and examined his writings for anti-Islamist statements to use against him. To save his own life, he had no choice but to go into hiding and find a way out of Bangladesh. He left his country on April 2016. Tuhin Das is now the current ICORN writer-in-residence of City of Asylum in Pittsburgh.

The World Affairs Council of CT is a non-profit, non-partisan organization founded in 1924. The Council's mission is to promote public engagement with global affairs and world issues by sponsoring events, discussion series and educational opportunities on international politics, business and culture. More at: ctwac.org or (860) 241-6118.

City of Asylum is the national headquarters of ICORN (International Cities of Refuge Network) based in Pittsburgh, PA., and was created to protect endangered literary writers so they can continue to write freely and their voices not be silenced. During the week of Writers-In-Exile, the Autorino Center will actively foster City of Asylum's mission of freedom of expression with a series of lectures, workshops, and readings featuring COA's writers-in-residence:

Tickets are FREE and can be obtained at the Frances Driscoll Box Office: 860.231.5555 or online at tickets.usj.edu.

This event is supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) offers a wide range of coeducational undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs that combine a professional and liberal arts education with a focus on service. Undergraduate programs for both traditional and adult students take place on our beautiful suburban campus and include more than 26 majors and seven pre-professional programs, taught by expert faculty in an engaging environment. Graduate master's and doctoral degree programs are taught on the University's two campuses in West Hartford and Hartford, Connecticut; at off-campus locations throughout the state; and online. Founded in 1932 by the Sisters of Mercy, the University of Saint Joseph welcomes students from diverse backgrounds and religious traditions. To learn more, view our website at www.usj.edu.

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