As metaphor and as reality, in our ever-more-hybrid world, translation and polylinguality are now ubiquitous. Languages live side by side, commingle, influence each other. New words, accents, grammars, forms of data, are surging everywhere. A writer may switch between languages within a single piece of work, may self-translate, or may deliberately refuse to use a major language for the benefit of a minor one. Do you too live, create, think, on a linguistic fault line?

Panelists: Robert Gal (Czech Republic), Chan Lai Kuen (Hong Kong), Amira-Gehanne Khelfallah (Algeria), Samuel Menghesteab (Eritrea)

The International Authors series provides an opportunity for the community to meet and converse with writers from around the world who are the 2019 Writers in Residence at the University of Iowa International Writing Program. The series is sponsored by The UI International Writing Program and The Iowa City Public Library.