UST Writing Center announces writing fellows for NWW 2021

This is a press release from the UST Center for Creative Writing and Literary Studies.

The UST Center for Creative Writing and Literary Studies has just announced the names of the fourteen writers who have qualified for the writing fellowships offered every year for the UST National Writers Workshop. This workshop, like the one held last year, will take place online, via Zoom, from June 14-July 2, from 5-8 PM for five days each week.

The writing fellows, USTNWW Batch 2021 are: Vince Raphael Agcaoili, poetry (UA&P); Andy Lopez, poetry (AdMU); Immanuel Canicosa, fiction (DLSU, UP Diliman); Alexandra Maria O. Alcasid, fiction ( iAcademy); Chuck D. Smith, creative nonfiction (UST, DLSU); Eunice Joy R. Bacalando (DLSU), creative nonfiction; Cris Lanzaderas, kuwento (UP LB, UP Diliman); Mubarak M. Tahir, kuwento (MSU-Marawi); KC Daniel Inventor, sanaysay (PNU, UP Diliman); Roda Tajon (Univ. of Northern Phil, UP Diliman); Paul John C. Padilla, tula (Catanduanes State U); Mark Dominick Portes, tula (Enverga U); Sabrina Basilio, dula (AdMU); and Eluna Cepeda, screenplay (St. Paul U).

This year’s Workshop Director is Chuckberry Pascual, and the Workshop Coordinator, Paul A. Castillo. The Teaching Panel will consist of: Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo (CCWLS Director), Ralph Semino Galan (Asst. Director), and the Resident Fellows: Lito B. Zulueta, Augusto Antonio Aguila, John Jack Wigley, Dawn Nicole Marfil, Ma. Ailil B. Alvarez, Ned Parfan, and Jose Mojica, and Rappler Thought Leaders regular contributor Joselito De Los Reyes.

Joining them will be Senior Guest Panelists UP University Professor Gémino H. Abad (one of the country’s most distinguished writers of poetry, literary scholarship and literary criticism); celebrated fictionist and playwright Luna Sicat Cleto; and much-awarded film scriptwriter and poet Jerry Gracio.

Pascual and Castillo note that, since holding the workshop on line, more writers from outside Metro Manila have been encouraged to apply—this year, 56 out of the 103 applicants are from the country’s other regions. Among the new Writing Fellows, one is from General Santos, one is from Ilocos Sur, one is from Catanduanes, and one is from Pagbilao in Quezon. Two are from Cavite and one is from Bulacan, but since two of them are enrolled in UP Diliman, they are probably staying in their respective hometowns because of the pandemic. – Rappler.com