Uddin Takes the Helm at AAWW
his January, Jafreen Uddin assumed leadership of the Asian American Writers’ Workshop (AAWW) as its new executive director. Located in New York City, the twenty-nine-year-old organization has been a de facto home for Asian American writers and literature, fostering community and providing space for essential dialogues through its events, classes, and fellowships, as well as its online literary magazine,. Uddin succeeds poet Ken Chen, who led the AAWW for eleven years, and becomes the seventh person and first woman to head the nonprofit. She brings with her a decade of experience, including her most recent work as PEN America’s deputy director of development for special events. As she stepped into her new role, Uddin shared her thoughts on the significance of Asian American literature—for herself and for all readers—and the importance of supporting storytellers and stories from the Asian diaspora.
