Young Guyanese writer Subraj Singh for Int’l Writing Prog.

Guyanese writer Subraj Singh, 25, has been selected as a participant in this year’s International Writing Program (IWP), the oldest and largest multinational writing residency in the world.

The IWP takes places from August 19 to November 9 in Iowa, USA and Singh’s participation was made possible by the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation.

“Participation in this program means a lot to me because it is a rare, and very prestigious, opportunity that allows a Guyanese writer to share contemporary Guyanese literature with the rest of the world, while also allowing the writer to learn from the rest of the world,” said Subraj.

With a tradition of excellence that has continued for nearly five decades, the IWP annually brings outstanding authors from every continent to the University of Iowa; a major American research institution which is internationally renowned for its writing programs.

“I’m excited to be representing Guyana and I look forward to sharing what I have learnt with other local writers upon the completion of my time at the Program,” Subraj told the News Room.

Since 1967, over 1,400 writers from more than 150 nations have taken part in the IWP’s Fall Residency.

According to the IWP, over the course of 12 weeks, aside from working on their own projects, writers will share their work and cultures, collaborate with artists from other genres and art forms, and travel and interact with American audiences and literary communities across the United States.

Singh is the 2014 Winner of the Guyana Prize for Literate’s Best First Book of Fiction.