Simon Van Booy reading at The New Vernacular

Simon Van Booy reading at The New Vernacular: Immigrant Authors in American Literature

Simon Van Booy is a finalist for the 2011 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Literature. Born in London and raised in rural Wales, Mr. Van Booy moved to New York City via Athens. Having long been drawn to the social and creative energy of the city, it would become home, and the place where he would find success as a writer. He has published two short story collections, "The Secret Lives of People in Love" (Turtle Point Press, 2007) and Love Begins in Winter (Harper Perennial, 2009), which won the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award. He is the editor of three philosophy books, and contributes essays to The New York Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Times, The Guardian, and NPR. His first novel, "Everything Beautiful Began After", is due from Harper Perennial in July 2011. His work has been translated into 11 different languages. Mr. Van Booy is also a passionate teacher and mentor, especially to other immigrants, and dreams of opening a rural literacy-nature center for children and adults. His future plans also include more philosophy books, a children's book series, and film adaptations.

The Vilcek Foundation hosted The New Vernacular, a reading and Q&A panel at, and in conjunction with, the Housing Works Bookstore Café, featuring the winner and finalists of the 2011 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Literature—Dinaw Mengestu, Ilya Kaminsky, Téa Obreht, Vu Tran, and Simon Van Booy.

For more videos, photos, and information about the Vilcek Prizes, visit http://www.vilcek.org

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Simon Van Booy
• Vilcek Foundation
• Literature

[coloronthewall]

I could listen to him talk all day