About IRWA:

International Romani Writers' Association, IRWA (Kansainvälinen Romanikirjailijaliitto) was founded in Karjaa, Finland on 20/21 of July 2002. The main aims of the association are to promote Romani literature, to obtain its recognition as part of world literature and to strengthen the language and culture of Romani people.

IRWA aims at creating a strong network of Roma writers, bringing the large scale of their multilingual works to publicity. Literature is overridingly important to the identity of the people, due to it tradition can be transformed over the generations. There is no nation or people without literature, art, novelists, professors. Writers are the interpreters of their people, their voice is extremely important in promoting the living conditions and the position of Roma everywhere in Europe.

When establishing IRWA, a project under the name "Romani Library" was created. The aim of the project is to select, translate, publish, distripute and promote the significant works of modern Romani literature. More about Romani Library

Background of IRWA

The idea to establish the International Romani Writer Association and a Roma Library had been maturing among the Roma Intellectuals for years. One long night in a hotel room Veijo Baltzar, Irka Cederberg, Baki Hasan and Mariella Mehr were discussing the results of Roma meeting they were attending in October 2000 in Stockholm. The idea was then further developed by Mariella Mehr and Thomas Busch of Drava-Verlag´s publishing company.

A significant stage occurred in November 2001 in Köln where the declaration about the decision to establish International Romani Writer Association was signed during the seminar of exiled poets organized by Dragoslav Dedovic and "Deutsch Welle!. The Roma and their supporters used this platform offered by "Deutsche Welle" to work out and publish the "Cologne Declaration" on November 19th 2001. They established a working group to prepare an inauguration congress planned for July 2002 in Helsinki.

The impossible was achieved: IRWA was founded in July 20th in Karjaa, near Helsinki. Romani writers from twelve European countries came together for the inauguration meeting. Veijo Baltzar and Leena Marsio, the first secretary of IRWA, were the true activists who made the realization of this dream possible. IRWA was created due to the warm and supporting atmosphere in the Finnish cultural society and its friendly minority policy.

Veijo Baltzar, known Finnish Romani author, was elected as president of the Association, Mariella Mehr from Italy and Jovan Nikolic from Germany as vice-presidents. As other members of the Board of Directors were chosen Charles Smith (England), Ljatif Demir (Macedonia) and as vice-members Margita Reiznerova (Belgium) and Valdemar Kalinin (England).

Co-partners of IRWA:

The foundation event was supported by the Finnish Writers Union, the President of Finland Tarja Halonen, the Nobel prize-winner for literature Günter Grass, the Council of Europe, Finnish Ministry of Education and the Nordic Culture Foundation. Important co-partners of IRWA are Helsinki City´s Cultural Centre, Italian Cultural Institute, Goethe Institute, Hungary's Cultural Institute and the City of Karjaa. Also the director of Finnish Literature Information Centre Iris Schwank stands behind us.

The mental supporters of IRWA are also Finnish Romani organizations. On an international level Günther Grass foundation, the Roma Research Centre of René Descartes' University in Paris, Romani section of the European council, Open Society Institute and the publishers Drava, University of Hertforshire Press and Wallada are also with us.