Writers’ Workshop graduate Afabwaje Kurian will read from her debut novel, Before the Mango Ripens.  She will be joined in conversation by Claire Lombardo.  “Before the Mango Ripens is a historical novel that avoids predictable oppositions. Its characters’ relationships and internal qualities are complex, its locals speak in indigenous Gbagyi, and its focus is realistic throughout. It depicts an array of individual viewpoints, desires, and motivations, spotlighting the challenges of political self-determination and personal fulfillment with skill.” — Foreword Reviews

“A beautifully rendered debut novel by a novelist who writes well beyond her years. Afabwaje Kurian’s lyrical prose, original characters and uncompromising storytelling will keep you hooked from start to finish.” —Regina Porter
Kurian received her MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Her short fiction has been published in McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern, Callaloo, Crazyhorse, The Bare Life Review, and Joyland Magazine. She has taught creative writing at the University of Iowa, for the International Writing Program, and for The Writer’s Center. She has received residencies and fellowships from Ucross, Vermont Studio Center, and Ragdale. Born in Jos, Nigeria, and raised in Maryland and Ohio, Afabwaje now divides her time between Washington, D.C., and the Midwest.
Claire Lombardo is the author of the national bestseller, Same As It Ever Was, and The Most Fun We Ever Had, which has been optioned for television by Reese Witherspoon. She lives in Iowa City, where she has taught at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop (she is also an alum) and Grinnell College and works part-time as a bookseller at Prairie Lights.