Mason professor Rei Berroa receives International Poetry Award

The City of Trieste, Italy, presented Mason faculty Rei Berroa, professor of modern and classical languages, with last year’s International Poetry Award. The award ceremony was held on Dec. 2 in the historic Café Tommaseo in Trieste.

The International Poetry Award is an honor that has been given to highly esteemed writers from around the world for each of the past 12 years in recognition of his or her lifetime achievement. Some of the poets who have received this award are Nobel Prize candidates, including Justo Jorge Padron (Spain, 1999), Alvaro Mutis (Colombia, 2000) and Mateja Matevski (Macedonia, 2001).

Berroa, a native of the Dominican Republic, is the author of more than 25 books of poetry, anthologies, translations and literary criticism. He has not only devoted his life to the art of poetry, but also to music, teaching and community service.