The Institute for Creative Writing and Literary Translation at Rome's John Cabot University has announced Charles Wright as the poet in residence and Dorothy Allison as the novelist in residence for the 2011 summer session.

Wright, from Tennessee, has been hailed as the leading American poet of his generation while Allison, from South Carolina, is an award-winning novelist who describes herself as a feminist, working class story teller.

Since its inception in 2009, the institute has established itself as a thriving point of reference for writers in Rome, hosting poets, novelists and writers in its year-round reading series which focuses on the work of the writers in residence. It holds workshops in fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and literary translation, and offers literature courses designed specifically for writers, taught by leading faculty from around the world.

The writers in residence interact directly with students through classes, public readings of their work, lectures and round-table discussions.

Founding director Carlos Dews describes the institute's goal to become "the essential location for creative writers across the globe to come and develop their writing skills. We keep our classes small so our students can become the best writers possible under the guidance of our faculty and distinguished writers in residence."

Novelist and short story writer Joyce Carol Oates will be the Novelist in Residence for summer 2012. John Cabot University is an independent, accredited four-year liberal arts university offering an American undergraduate education.

www.johncabot.edu