Univeristy Park, Pa. -- WPSU and Penn State's Institute for the Arts and Humanities (IAH) present a public conversation with Mario Vargas Llosa, one of Latin America's leading novelists and essayists. "A Conversation with Mario Vargas Llosa" will be held at 3:30 p.m. Thursday (April 10) at WPSU's studios in the lobby of the Outreach Building in Penn State's Innovation Park. The public is welcome to be part of this broadcast event and can participate with their questions and comments. The event is free and no tickets are required.
This public discussion is part of WPSU's Common Ground Lobby Talk series.
Vargas Llosa is a Spanish-Peruvian writer, journalist and political activist. One of the leading authors of his generation, Vargas Llosa is considered to have a greater international impact and worldwide audience than any other writer of the Latin American boom.
He is prominent for his novels, many of which have received distinguished international awards. His novels span many literary genres, including comedy, murder mystery, the historical novel and the political thriller. Several, such as "Pantaleon y las visitadoras" and "La tia Julia y el escribidor," have been adapted as feature films (the latter as "Tune in Tomorrow").
During his time visiting Penn State, IAH will present its third annual Institute for the Arts and Humanities Medal for Distinguished Contributions to the Public Advancement of the Arts and Humanities to Vargas Llosa. This medal is awarded annually to individuals who have made significant public contributions to the advancement of the arts and the humanities in our times. Previous recipients were author Salman Rushdie (2006) and architect Daniel Libeskind (2007).
"A Conversation with Mario Vargas Llosa" will be broadcast at 9 p.m. Thursday, June 12, on WPSU-TV. It will be streamed live at http://wpsu.org/lobbytalks.
To reach the Outreach Building in University Park, take Park Avenue going toward Beaver Stadium, drive past Mount Nittany Medical Center to the Innovation Park Exit A. Take that exit and then a right turn at the stop sign. The Outreach Building is on the right-hand side of Innovation Boulevard.
This event is a collaboration with Penn State's Institute for the Arts and Humanities (IAH). WPSU's Common Ground Lobby Talks series is made possible by The Public Service Media Initiative, a collaborative project of the Science, Technology and Society Program in the Colleges of the Liberal Arts and Engineering and WPSU TV-FM. Common Ground Lobby Talks are locally broadcast, available online at http://wpsu.org/lobbytalks and statewide through Penn State ON DEMAND.