Reading Series November 2023-Gulf Coast Multilingual Showcase Reading

7 PM CDT - Gulf Coast Multilingual Showcase Reading featuring Hosam Abou-Ela and student readers Ibrahim Badshah, Weijia Pan, Iqra Raza, and Maha Ahmed.

Please join us on November 10th at 7pm (doors open at 6:30) for this installment of the the 2023–2024 Gulf Coast Reading Series at Lawndale Art Center!

Please note:
Masks will be required while indoors at this event. N95 and KN95 masks are strongly encouraged. Social distancing is encouraged.

Hosam Aboul-Ela is Professor of English at the University of Houston. He is the author of two books and numerous articles. He has also translated four novels from Arabic into English.

Ibrahim Badshah, a dedicated translator, brings his unique perspective to the literary world. Specializing in translating from Arabic to Malayalam, Ibrahim has worked on seven books, including two novels by Jokha Al-Harthi, a Man Booker International winner. Currently pursuing a PhD in the English department at the University of Houston, he delves into translation theory, particularly in the context of world literature debate and postcolonial studies. Beyond his academic pursuits, he also has a keen interest in photography. Ibrahim's contributions to the literary world and his academic journey reflect his passion for language and culture.

Iqra Raza is a PhD student in the Department of English at University of Houston. Her areas of academic interest include Global Anglophone Literature, Human Rights literature, Spectrality studies, and cultural studies. She is also a poet and an aspiring translator.

Maha Ahmed is a poet and translator. She is a PhD candidate in Creative Writing at the University of Houston where she studies Arab-American literature, Marxism, and the avant-garde. She edits poetry for the Beirut-based literary magazine, Rusted Radishes.

Weijia Pan is a poet and translator from Shanghai, China. His poems have appeared, or are forthcoming, from AGNI, Boulevard, Copper Nickel, Georgia Review, New Ohio Review, Palette, Poetry Daily, Shenandoah, and elsewhere. A winner of the Inprint Paul Verlaine Prize in Poetry, he is pursuing an MFA in poetry at the University of Houston.