Svetlana Mintcheva is a writer, academic and free speech controversies consultant. She is based in Europe (Bulgaria and Greece) and works internationally. Before becoming a freelance consultant, she was a long time staff member and director of programs at the National Coalition Against Censorship, an alliance of U.S. national organizations protecting freedom of speech. She developed the NCAC Arts Advocacy Program (now Arts and Culture Program), the only U.S. national initiative devoted to the arts and free expression. Svetlana served as a board member of Artists at Risk Connection and ARTSFEX. Before embarking on a career as a free speech defender Svetlana taught literature and critical theory at the University of Sofia, Bulgaria and at Duke University, NC from which she received her Ph.D. in critical theory in 1999. She has also taught part time at New York University.