United Nations Society of Writers
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The United Nations Society of Writers is a Club for United Nations staff registered with the United Nations Socio Cultural Commission in Geneva, and is known under the acronyms UNSW and SENU, corresponding to Societé des écrivains des Nations Unies. It was founded in Geneva on 14 August 1989 by Sergio Chaves (Argentina), Leonor Sampaio (Brazil) and Alfred de Zayas (USA).
[edit] Overview
The UNSW organizes literary events, poetry readings, round tables and publishes a yearly literary journal Ex Tempore. The name Ex Tempore was chosen since staff contributions should be crisp, impromptu, and as far away as possible from the stale UN jargon of resolutions and reports.
UNSW has proven that UN staffers can also write literature. The journal Ex Tempore has been widely acclaimed in the Swiss press and received media attention from the Tribune de Geneve, Le Courrier, Le Journal de Geneve, Le Temps, DIVA International. Its members have been interviewed by local radio stations, including Radio Cite. The journal has its own issn number: ISSN 1020-6604.
The last number of Ex Tempore is Vol. XVII (December 2006) and can be obtained by contacting kkaminker@unog.org or zayas@bluewin.ch.
On Thursday, 18 May 2006 UNSW hosted a lunchtime music-and-poetry event in the Cinema Room at the Palais des Nations. Thanks to the organization and charm of Karin Kaminker and Alex Ezana, it was a resounding success. On 14 December 2007 UNSW performed the "Pastorale" written by Karin Kaminker before a large audience at the foyer of the General Assembly in the Palais des Nations. On Friday, 19 January 2007, UNSW held its 11th annual salon. 63 Poets and essayists from the United Nations Office in Geneva, some of them members of PEN International read their oeuvres in English, French, German, Spanish, Russian -- even Arabic, Vietnamese and Dutch. In 2006 UNSW celebrated the centennial of the birth of Samuel Beckett and the bicentennial of the birth of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, whose "Sonnets from the Portuguese" seduced not just her husband Robert Browning!. In 2007 UNSW is celebrating the bicentennial of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and the centennians of W.H. Auden and Daphne Du Maurier.
[edit] Board
After 15 years as president of the UN Society of Writers, Alfred de Zayas retired in December 2005, but remains as editor of the literary journal. The composition of the new UNSW Board is:
- President: Karin Kaminker
- Vice-President: Carla Edelenbos
- Secretary: Alexa Intrator
- Treasurer: Janet Weiler
- Editor-in-chief: Alfred de Zayas
