2023 | Slow Currents x Asian American Literature Festival

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Photograph | Denaise Seals

For the second year of the Slow Currents international writing workshop, we brought together the workshop to meet together in Washington DC for a 10-day writing residency, followed by the 3-day Smithsonian’s Asian American Literary Festival.

 The festival was unceremoniously canceled by the Smithsonian only three weeks prior to our arrival. This cancellation of the festival led to an outpouring of support from local writing community, who invited us to perform with them, at events held at both The Kennedy Centre and at local bookstore Busboys and Poets.

Slow Currents also co-organised and participated in the ‘Ghosted World: Uncancelled Asian American Literary Festival’, featuring six performances, meetings with poets and writers, and a closed Asian American programmers roundtable.

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Slow Currents in Washington DC | Photographs by Chris Tse

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Read More

• Read and Sign the Open Letter to the Smithsonian

• “Smithsonian abruptly cancels Asian American literary festival” in Washington Post, covered by Sophia Nguyen

• “Smithsonian literary fest flagged ‘sensitive’ topics before cancellation” in Washington Post, covered by Sophia Nguyen

• WTOP News, covered by Ivy Lyons

• The Spinoff, covered by Claire Mabey

• NPR's Eyder Peralta talks with Regie Cabico

• Listen to Hasib Hourani and Leah Jing McIntosh in conversation with Xen Nhà on 3CR

• Kundiman’s recap of Ghosted World: An Uncanceled AALF

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