Celebrated bilingual poet, storyteller and writer Shamim Azad has been bestowed with the honour of a poetry residency in Athens, the historic city of art, culture and civilization.

A Poets' Agora Residency, a literary association located in Plaka, Athens, Greece, has offered her the 2019 residency programme that is designed as an experience to pursue personal creative growth in the vibrant capital city of Athens, during two fulfilling weeks (May 10-24).

Azad will write poems in English living in a beautiful neoclassical apartment, with frescoes on the ceilings, in the city centre. She is scheduled to deliver two lectures during her stay. A selection of her works will also be published in late autumn of 2019.

Shamim Azad, has so far written and edited 37 books. Her sincere interest to work for the Bengali community through the development of Bengali language and literature has been remarkable, which sets her apart among her peers. This is the first time a Bangladeshi poet has received the honour of partaking in this prestigious residency programme.