Join the University of Iowa (UI) Center for Asian and Pacific Studies (CAPS), an International Programs affinity group, for a special evening of bilingual readings featuring acclaimed Japanese poet Kawaguchi Harumi and translator Rina Kikuchi.
Bilingual readings with Kawaguchi Harumi and Rina Kikuchi
Date & Time: Friday, October 16, 2026, 6 – 8 p.m. (CDT)
Location: Iowa City Public Library, Meeting Room A
Kawaguchi Harumi, a member of the 2026 International Writing Program (IWP), will read selections from her poetry alongside her longtime translator, Rina Kikuchi, an Obermann-CAPS International Fellow. Members of the UI Japanese Program's Workshop in Japanese Literary Translation will also participate in the reading.
The evening will feature works presented in both Japanese and English, offering audiences a unique opportunity to experience contemporary Japanese poetry through original texts and translation. Additional International Writing Program participants will read from their own work in the original language and in translation.
"Kawaguchi Harumi is one of Japan's most celebrated poets, and Rina Kikuchi is one of the most celebrated translators of Japanese into English," shared Kendall Heitzman, associate professor of Japanese in the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and director of CAPS. "Our audience has an opportunity to hear some of Kawaguchi's recent work translated into English for the first time anywhere, by both Kikuchi and student-translators in the Workshop in Japanese Literary Translation."
This event is co-sponsored by the Japan Foundation, the International Writing Program, the Center for Asian and Pacific Studies, and the UI Japanese Program.
About the Speakers
Kawaguchi Harumi is a poet based in Tokyo and one of Japan's most acclaimed contemporary literary voices. Her collection To the Witches' Forest (Yagate Majo no Mori ni Naru, 2021) received the 30th Hagiwara Sakutarō Prize in 2022, and Tiger is Here. (2015) won the 46th Takami Jun Prize in 2016. Her poetry explores women's experiences and memory, while bridging literature and popular culture, particularly manga and anime. Her work has been translated into English, German, Italian, and Korean, and she has taught creative writing for more than three decades. Her participation is made possible by a grant from the Japan Foundation.
Rina Kikuchi is a literary scholar, poetry translator, and professor of literature at Shiga University in Japan, as well as an adjunct professor of poetry at the University of Canberra. Her research focuses on Japanese women's poetry of the Asia-Pacific War, and her translation practice emphasizes collaborative approaches to literary translation. Her publications include Poet to Poet: Contemporary Women Poets from Japan, Pleasant Troubles, and The Selected Translations of Sagawa Chika Poems.
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa–sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Dongwang Liu in advance at 319-335-1305 or dongwang-liu@uiowa.edu.
International Programs (IP) at the University of Iowa (UI) is committed to enriching the global experience of UI students, faculty, staff, and the general public by leading efforts to promote internationally oriented teaching, research, creative work, and community engagement. IP provides support for international students and scholars, administers scholarships and assistance for students who study, intern, or do research abroad, and provides funding opportunities and grant-writing assistance for faculty engaged in international research. IP shares their stories through various media, and by hosting multiple public engagement activities each year.