Nii Ayikwei Parkes will be the British Council UK Writer-in-Residence at CSULA from Monday, March 26 to Friday, April 20, 2007. 

Born in the UK and raised in Ghana, Nii Ayikwei Parkes is the author of four poetry collections: eyes of a boy, lips of a man (1999), M is for Madrigal (2004), shorter (2005), and The Making of You, which is forthcoming.

With Courttia Newland, he co-edited Tell Tales Volume I, regularly edits x magazine, and is the publisher and editor of Flipped Eye Publishing Ltd.

Nii has performed all over the world on major stages such as the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in New York, The Royal Festival Hall in London, Java in Paris and Paradiso in Amsterdam, as well as festivals such as the Lancaster Literature Festival and the Austin International Poetry Festival. In 2003, Nii was Poet-In-Residence at the Poetry Society of England, received an Arts Council of England Award for his just-completed novel, The Cost of Red Eyes, and won the Farrago Best Overall Poetry Performance Award in 2003 and 2004.

Find out more about Nii Parkes by visiting the following websites:

Nii Parkes' website: http://www.niiparkes.com/

Flipped Eye Publishing Ltd.'s website: http://www.flippedeye.net/history.html

An interview with Nii Parkes: http://www.subtletea.com/niiparkesinterview.htm

Nii Parkes on BBC's Africa 05 Book Club:
BBC - BBC Africa - Africa 05 - Book Club

British Council's UK Writer-in-Residence Program

For more information, call the Cal State L.A. English Department at (323) 343-4140.

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Nii Parkes's visit to CSULA as the British Council UK Writer-in-Residence is made possible by the CSULA Center for Contemporary Poetry and Poetics, the  Virginia E. Smith Fund for Poetry and Poetics and through the additional support of the British Council.

Nii Parkes at CSULA
Office: E & T A613
Telephone: 323-343-4289

Thursday, April 5, 6:30pm
Music Hall. (Click here for map.) Poetry reading open to the public, free of charge. Book signing will follow. Nii's books and CD will be available for sale and autographing at the reading, and before the reading in the University Bookstore.

Friday, April 13, 11:00am-1:00pm
PALS Office, JFK Library, Palmer Wing 1040A. Poetry reading-- Please call to confirm your attendance: 
323 343 3184 or stop by the office to sign up.

Office Hours
MW 2-4pm (by appointment only)
Th 10-12am (open office hours)