Writer Anthony Joseph is Cal State L.A.'s First British Council USA Poet-in-Residence

This spring, British Afro-Caribbean poet and novelist Anthony Joseph will be at California State University, Los Angeles, as part of the British Council USA writer-in-residence program. Joseph will be teaching students at Cal State L.A. and giving readings of his work to the campus community from April 4 to May 2. A complete schedule of events, including readings and workshops, will be announced later. The literary residency program is part of a larger initiative developed by the British Council USA, the United Kingdom's international organization for educational and cultural relations.

Joseph's post at Cal State L.A. represents the first British Council USA Writer-in-Residence program in the West. This begins a three-year pilot program that, each year, brings a different British poet to Cal State L.A. for a one-month residency. The British Council USA writer-in-residence program forms partnerships between the British Council USA and major American universities, introducing U.S. students to exciting and contemporary British writers through on-campus workshops and readings. The Cal State L.A. residency also is supported by the University's Virginia E. Smith Fund for Poetry and Poetics.

Author of two poetry collections, Desafinado (1994) and Teragaton (1998), Joseph's poetry and prose have been published in numerous publications and journals. He was selected as one of 50 major figures in contemporary British culture to appear in the historic photo, "A Great Day," which appeared in The Guardian in 2004. The photo was created as an echo and tribute to the 1958 group photo, "A Great Day in Harlem," with the idea transplanted to today's multicultural Britain.

Joseph is currently working on his first novel, The African Origins of UFOs, an experimental work of "liquid text fiction" of poetic rhythms, science fiction, Caribbean and African myths and jazz. An excerpt of the book has been published in the anthology, Dark Matter: An Anthology of Black Science Fiction (Time Warner, 2000).

A regular performer on the poetry and spoken word scene, he has appeared at The Green Room, Centre for Popular Music, Cornwall Festival, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Brighton Dome and the Barbican. Joseph was also a featured artist on the Modern Love UK Tour 2002, and his performance has been anthologized on a CD-ROM.

Joseph is currently a faculty member in creative writing at South Thames University (UK).

An arm of the United Kingdom's international organization for educational and cultural relations, the British Council USA (BCUSA) increases recognition of the wide array of learning opportunities available in the UK and facilitates educational cooperation between the US and UK. The organization also showcases British creativity by introducing the American public to high-quality, groundbreaking artistic achievement, and highlights the UK's scientific innovation in disciplines ranging from biotechnology to planetary science. Through its work, BCUSA endeavors to promote an image of the UK that is up-to-date, vibrant, in the vanguard of new thinking and fully representative of the country's geographic and cultural diversity. For more information, visit BCUSA online at www.britishcouncil.org/usa.

Contact: Carol Selkin, Media Relations Director (323) 343-3044