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I got an email recently from a Mr. Ide at the Japanese PEN Center. Japan PEN is hoping to host the annual PEN World Congress in 2010, and over the past four days a couple of representatives from Japan PEN were in Mongolia holding workshops for Mongolian writers on PEN Center Formation. It's a long shot, but possible that Mongolian writers will get it together enough to, like, apply formally to be a PEN center! The only obstacle at this point is the one that had made itself apparent during my year there: that an open-door policy, which would be required, does not appeal to Mongolian writers just yet. We'll see. They did sign the charter, and the buzz and momentum continues, as this most recent visit from Japan PEN proves, so I remain optimistic.