Eleven fellows have been chosen for the 2024 Tagik Landasan-Bathalad Creative Writing Workshop—four for poetry and seven for fiction.
The fellows for poetry are Grezel-Jan Balbutin, Bon Steve Gibalay, Al Jeffrey Gonzales, and Jay Bryan La-ag.
For fiction, the fellows are Pherean Wayne Agan, Alden Arcenal, Neil Arkhe Azcuna, Mikaela Jane Dagani, Kyle Zenith Durano, Kermichil Herbieto, and Jazzy Lyle Sarmiento Samson.
The two-day workshop will be held at the UP Cebu campus in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City on July 20-21.
This year’s fellows were chosen from 60 aspiring writers living in different parts of the country who submitted their manuscripts.
The screening committee is composed of Ava Arnejo, Jennifer Ebdane, Dianne Deiparine, Adie Orozco, Leonel Quillo, and Kenjiro Mitsui.
Panelists for the workshop are composed of multi-awarded writers and scholars from academia.
Poet Butch Bandillo is the head panelist.
The other panelists are Dr. Hope Sabanpan-Yu, Dr. Shane Carreon, Carlos Cortés, Richel Dorotan, Januar Yap, Jeremiah Bondoc, Noel Villaflor, Mark Anthony Daposala, Jae Mari Magdadaro, and Jorisse Gumanay.
The workshop is organized by the creative writing group Bathalan-ong Halad sa Dagang (Bathalad) Sugbo and the University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu, including its College of Communication Art and Design, Creative Writing Program, and UP Cebu Communication.
Jessabele Bentazal, Famila Jimenez, Michael Florentino, and Jojie Ogaob will serve as moderators during the workshop.
John Danté, author of the best-selling Cebuano high fantasy novel “Surumawa,” serves as this year’s workshop coordinator.