born in Khartoum, Sudan, he goes online by his pseudonym, Drima Abu Hamdan. He became well-known through his blog »The Sudanese Thinker,« in which he grapples with his often conflicting Arab, African and Muslim roots. Drima grew up in Qatar, before moving to the much more liberal capital of Malaysia.
born 1978 in Braşov, she studied Romanian and English in her hometown and then completed a master’s degree in Gender and Culture in Budapest. In addition to her 2004 debut novel »Est-falia«, she has published numerous poems, prose pieces, essays and reviews in various literary and cultural journals. From 2007−2009
born in 1961 in Yugoslavia, the novelist, essayist, conceptual artist, astronomer and philosopher was a member of the UNESCO Commission for Serbia and Montenegro from 2002 to 2008 and reformed the Serbian National Library, which he has directed since 2001. Ugričić is a member of the Serbian P.E.N., the Executive
Sofi Oksanen was born in 1977 in Jyväskylä (Finland). She learned Estonian from her mother but she writes in Finnish. After focusing on Literature Studies at the universities of Jyväskylä and Helsinki, she moved to the Drama School in Helsinki and studied Dramaturgy. Her début novel »Stalinin lehmät« (2003, tr:
born in 1951 in Moscow. The author studied Biology and Ecology and earned her Ph.D. at Lomonosov Moscow State University. Since 1986, she has worked as a freelance journalist in Berlin. Her 1992 work, »The End of Lies: Russia and Jews in the 20th Century« stirred up considerable controversy. She
Sindiwe Magona was born in 1943 in Umtata (Transkei, South Africa) and grew up in Gugulethu in the Cape Flats near Cape Town. She did both her last two years of high school and her BA, from the University of South Africa, by correspondence. She then got a Masters degree
Sjón (Sigurjón Birgir Sigurðsson), born in 1962 in Rezkjavik, had already joined lceland’s literary scene as a young man. He published his first book of poems, »Sýnir« (1978, tr: Visions) at age 15. More poems were soon to follow, which were re-published in 1986 in the collection »Drengurinn með röntgenaugum«
born in Tübingen in 1986, has studied dramatic arts since 2006 and creative writing and cultural journalism since 2007 in Hildesheim and London. She is a member of the editorial staff at the online children’s book magazine librikon.de and has already completed work training at several theatres. In addition, her
born 1954 in Stuttgart. She learned Religious Studies at the FU Berlin, worked as an bookkeeper in an advertising agency and wrote radio features and radio plays. In 1998 she received the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize for her novel »Pong«, and for her novel »Apostoloff« she was awarded the Leipziger Book
Shaun Tan, born in Perth in 1974, is an award-winning artist with a great reputation not only in his home country, but also abroad. When he was young, he began drawing science fiction and horror stories for magazines. Later, he studied art and English literature at the University of Western
Serhiy Zhadan was born in 1974 in Starobilsk, an industrial town in eastern Ukraine. He studied German and Ukrainian Language and Literature in Kharkiv. He graduated with a dissertation on Ukrainian Futurism, and lectured on Literary Studies for four years before deciding to become a freelance writer and translator. Zhadan
Sergej Lukianenko, born in 1968 in Karatau, Kazakhstan, is considered the most popular Russian fantasy and science fiction writer today. After studying medicine he briefly worked as a psychiatrist before he gave up his career in favor of writing. In the beginning of the 1990s he was an active member
