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AIAW Press Gallery - 2010
Press Release - May 28, 2010 - For Immediate Release
A LITERARY READING BY IRANIAN AMERICAN WRITERS TO
HONOR IRAN'S IMPRISONED
WRITERS, JOURNALISTS AND BLOGGERS will be held on Saturday, June 19, 2010, 2:30pm - 4:30pm
at Martin Luther King Jr. Library, Downtown San Jose (150 East San Fernando Street)
(San Jose, CA) – The Association of Iranian American Writers (AIAW) will host a reading to
honor Iranian writers and commemorate the 1-year anniversary of Iran's 2009 disputed
elections.
This reading and musical performance celebrates the courage and resilience that
Iranian writers, journalists and bloggers have shown during the last year, and will raise funds
for the Iranian Refugee Alliance, Inc. (IRA).
The reading by local authors and musical performance will take place at Martin Luther King
Jr. Library in downtown San Jose from 2:30pm - 4:30pm. MAP
The program will feature a
message by the founding member of the Iranian Refugees Alliance, Deljou Abadi.
AIAW members and poets Farnaz Fatemi, Esther Kamkar, Persis Karim, fiction writers Beatrice Motamedi,
Shirindokht Nourmanesh, Ari Siletz and stand-up comedian and non-fiction writer Tissa
Hami will read. Massud Alemi, a novelist and member of AIAW will speak on the status of
Iranian writers in the aftermath of the 2009 uprising.
Books by AIAW members will be
available for purchase. The event is co-sponsored by United4Iran.org, Kavosh Women's
Organization, Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, and Veesta Arts & Lectures. All proceeds to
benefit Iranian Refugees Alliance, Inc.
Iranian writers have been at the forefront of the struggle for freedom of thought and speech
and they have paid a price for their outspokenness, along with students' and women's
organizations.
Iranian writers, journalist, and bloggers have been facing insults, threats,
arrests, imprisonment, and even torture. Writers have been one of the primary targets of the
Islamic Republic's crackdown; many writers and journalists have, since June 2009, fled the
country.
The Association of Iranian American Writers is dedicated to supporting and promoting the
work of fiction and non-fiction writers, essayists, poets, journalists, photojournalists, and
other word-based artists.
More information about AIAW is available on this website: www.iranianamericanwriters.org
For more event information please contact Shirindokht Nourmanesh shirindokht@sbcglobal.net -- Venue Map
