going to baguio in may: fellows of the 54th UP National Writers Workshop announced

Excited to announce the good news that I am one of the Fellows for English of the 54th UP National Writers Workshop. As a UP alumna this makes me extremely happy. And nervous! But mostly happy. It should be a fun week in May in one of my favorite cities, talking about writing and reading. Love love love.

Source.

The Likhaan: University of the Philippines Institute of Creative Writing (UP ICW) announces the fellows to the 54th UP National Writers Workshop to be held from 10-17 May in Baguio City. The fellows, associates, advisers of the UP ICW selected twelve writers in mid-career to participate in the annual workshop. Heading this year’s workshop is award-winning writer and UP ICW Associate Prof. Luna Sicat Cleto.

This year’s fellows for English are Armida Mabitad Azada, Gutierrez M. Mangansakan II, Isidro T. Marinay, Benedict Bautista Parfan, Charlie Samuya Veric, and Eliza Victoria. The fellows for Filipino are Jack A. Alvarez, Kristoffer Brugada, Resty Cena, Segundo D. Matias Jr., Rhoderick V. Nuncio, and Will P. Ortiz.

The Advisers, Fellows, and Associates of the UP ICW will comprise the workshop panel. They are National Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario, National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera, Gémino H. Abad, Jose Y. Dalisay Jr., Charlson Ong, Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo, J. Neil Garcia, Jun Cruz Reyes, Victor Emmanuel Carmelo Nadera Jr., Rosario Cruz Lucero, Eugene Y. Evasco, Isabela Banzon Mooney, and Acting UP ICW Director Rolando B. Tolentino.

Unlike most national writers workshops, the UP National Writers Workshop is only for advanced writers. The UP ICW is the lone institution that holds a workshop of this kind in the country. The current workshop format was borne out of the need to address the dearth of venues for writers in mid-career to exchange ideas on their craft and their current literary projects. Prior to the new format, the UP ICW has held the annual UP National Writers Workshop for the country’s most promising beginning writers since the 1960s. Through the years other writing centers of other universities have instituted their own workshops for beginning writers, thus freeing the UP ICW to address other concerns.