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Original language: Deutsch
Alaa Khaled
Writer from Alexandria/Egypt (born 1960), became known as a poet, essayist and novelist after studying biochemistry. His journalistic texts have literary traits, his prose is partly poetic, partly journalistic. Khaled is a staunch opponent of any norms that impose patterns of thought and behavior on individuals. Khaled is also known as the editor of the cultural magazine Amkenah, which enjoys a high reputation in the Arab world. Khaled's reportage "Everything Happens Quietly With No Surprises" was nominated for the Lettre Ulysses Award in 2005. Most recently published in German: "Das Buch des Flusses Nil", Lettre International, No. 71.
Ali Badr
Writer from Baghdad/Iraq (born 1964). He is one of the best-known Arab authors of his generation. In 1996, he completed his degree in French literature with a thesis on Roland Barthes, after which he was expelled from university. His novel "Papa Sartre" about existentialism in Baghdad in the 50s and 60s made him famous. He goes even further back in history with his novel "The Naked Banquet". There he describes the beginning of the Arab modern era, starting in the late 19th century.
Alhierd Bacharevic'
Writer from Minsk/Belarus (1975). He has published several volumes of short stories and novels with independent Minsk publishers. In 2002, he was awarded the only independent Belarusian literary prize "Hliniany Viales" for the best book of the year for his novel "Practical Aid for the Destruction of Cities". His works are now banned in Belarus. Published in German: Stories and poems in the anthologies "Frontlinie-1", "Frontlinie-2" and in the magazines Lichtungen, Literatur und Kritik and Schöngeist, as well as the novel "Die Elster auf dem Galgen" published by Leipziger Literatur Verlag in 2010.
Zvonko Karanovic'
Writer from Nis/Serbia (born in 1959). He lives in Belgrade as an editor, journalist, radio broadcaster and DJ. Since 1990, he has published numerous volumes of poetry and a trilogy of novels entitled "The Diary of a Deserter". He writes about the war years, which are still repressed in Serbia, and impresses with his intellectual independence, which he proved not only under the Miloševic regime. The anthology "Eintrittskarte/ Ulaznica" was published in German by Drava-Verlag, Klagenfurt 2011.
German Sadulajew
Writer from St. Petersburg/Russia (born 1973), born in Chechnya to Russian-Chechen parents. After working in construction and for an Indian tobacco company, he studied law in St. Petersburg, where he now works as a lawyer. He began writing poetry as a child, later song lyrics, then several stories and novellas. Even before its first publication in the magazine Snamja, his novel "I am a Chechen" was circulating in artistic circles and was adapted for the theater. It is a book about Russians and Chechens, about the war and the long suffering afterwards. Published in German by Amman Verlag, Zurich 2009.
Chang Ping
Journalist from Sichuan/ PR China (born 1968), is one of the best-known commentators on Chinese contemporary history. As head of the news department of the Southern Weekly and deputy editor-in-chief of the Southern Metropolis Weekly, he made a name for himself in China. His sharp reportage and his commitment to freedom of expression put him under pressure. Because he repeatedly took up politically sensitive topics, the influential management of the Southern Media Group dismissed him.
Liao Zenghu,
Pseudonym Ye Kai, writer from Shanghai/PR China (born 1969). He holds a doctorate in modern Chinese literature and works as an editor for the renowned literary magazine Harvest (Shou Huo). His essay series "Chinese Teaching and Study" deals with the quality of Chinese textbooks. As a literary critic, he published a critical biography of the famous Chinese writer Mo Yan in 2008. In his novel "The Road to Wealth", he describes the social conditions in Chinese capitalism.
Hassouna Mosbahi
Writer from Tunis/Tunisia (born in 1950), was born into a large Bedouin family in the hinterland of Kairuan. He began writing stories as a teenager, with which he won the Tunisian Radio Prize in 1968. Long periods of study in Paris, Madrid and London led him to Munich in 1985, where he lived as a journalist, literary critic and freelance writer until 2004, before returning to Tunisia. Several of his books have been published in German. His novel "Return to Tarshish" was awarded the Tukan Prize of the City of Munich in 2000.
Magomed Toriev
investigative journalist from Ingushetia/Russia (born 1978). He works for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the opposition website Ingushetia.org and the Caucusus Times, among others.
