21st UST National Writers’ Workshop to push through virtually for second straight year

FOURTEEN fellows, including a Thomasian, are set to attend this year’s UST National Writers’ Workshop to be held from June 14 to July 2 via Zoom.

Now on its 21st year, the workshop organized by the UST Center for Creative Writing and Literary Studies (CCWLS) will tackle works in the following categories: poetry and tula, short story and maikling kwento, creative nonfiction, sanaysay and play/screenplay.

Former Varsitarian news and features writer Chuck D. Smith was chosen as a fellow for creative nonfiction.

Other fellows are: Vince Raphael Agcaoili, poetry (University of the Asia and the Pacific); Andy Lopez, poetry (Ateneo de Manila University); Immanuel Canicosa, fiction (De La Salle University, University of the Philippines Diliman); Alexandra Maria O. Alcasid, fiction ( iAcademy); Eunice Joy R. Bacalando (DLSU), creative nonfiction; Cris Lanzaderas, kuwento (UP Los Baños, UP Diliman); Mubarak M. Tahir, kuwento (MSU-Marawi); KC Daniel Inventor, sanaysay (PNU, UP Diliman); Roda Tajon (University of Northern Philippines, UP Diliman); Paul John C. Padilla, tula (Catanduanes State University); Mark Dominick Portes, tula (Enverga University); Sabrina Basilio, dula (AdMU); and Eluna Cepeda, screenplay (St. Paul University).

Workshop coordinator and Thomasian poet Paul Castillo said the fellows, some of which hail from outside Metro Manila, were a “testament to the various perspectives” in the creative arts that are not often highlighted on the national stage.

“What makes this diverse group of younger writers interesting … is the possibility that the pieces to be workshopped will have, maybe for the first time, an audience coming from the northern up to the southern part of the country,” Castillo told the Varsitarian.

“Meaning, different critical and creative eyes will have varying things to say about each work,” he added.

The 2021 UST National Writers’ Workshop is hosted by the UST Center for Creative Writing and Literary Studies (CCWLS) and is open to Thomasian and non-Thomasian writers. The 14 fellows were chosen after a screening process.

Renowned literary critic and poet Gémino Abad, screenwriter and poet Jerry Gracio and novelist and playwright Luna Sicat-Cleto are this year’s senior guest panelists.

The workshop panelists from CCWLS are Director Cristina Pantoja-Hidalgo, Asst. Director Ralph Semino Galán and resident fellows Joselito Delos Reyes, Augusto Antonio Aguila, Jose Mojica, Ma. AIlil Alvarez, John Jack Wigley, Ned Parfan, Dawn Nicole Marfil and Varsitarian publications adviser Joselito Zulueta.

Chuckberry Pascual will serve as this year’s workshop director.