#WriteNow

"Dapat walang pinagseselosan si Lisa."

"Nakikita kasi ni Lisa na may kausap kang ibang babae. Ako."

A comic strip illustrator witnesses an awkward fight between her writer and his girlfriend. Bracing herself, she finally decides to tell him why his romantic relationships never work out. The conversation explodes into a discussion on relationships, social expectations, their history, and their future. It becomes more and more clear that their careers and friendship are on the line.

Joem Antonio's Palanca Award-winning story, The Dust in Your Place, is at Cinemalaya 17. Watch it online now! Tickets are at ₱150 for a 24-hour pass.

August 6 to September 3, 2021

Note: Most of the film's dialogue is in Filipino, but English subtitles are provided.

Bring a cup of coffee (or your beverage of choice) and have a chat with Dr. Joem Antonio about The Dust In Your Place.

He wrote this one-act play almost a decade ago and it won him a Palanca Award back in 2012. The play has been staged a number of times since then. But recently, Cutaway Productions adapted it into film and submitted it to Cinemalaya...and the film made it to the top 13! So now, there's renewed interest in this story. We thought you might like to go deeper into the material with none other than the writer himself.

During the discussion, Joem can answer your questions about the creative process involved in writing the play and adapting it into film. However, we hope that the discussions would more than that: let's dive into the various themes that The Dust In Your Place brings up and get into the heads of Rick and Claire (and maybe even Lisa). So if you haven't yet, do watch the film and/or read the script, then let's have a chat!

*These discussions are exclusive to past and current students of Storywriting School. Only 10 guests (first come, first served) will be admitted in each session to ensure that all are able to actively participate in the discussion. We're offering three schedules to accommodate a maximum of 30 guests. You must be at least 15 years old to participate.

August 21, 2021 (Saturday) at 9:30AM PHT (GMT+8)
September 4, 2021 (Saturday) at 9:30AM PHT (GMT+8)

Dante's Inferno is one of those books we often hear about. But what is it really like? What is it about Dante's epic poem that made him Shakespeare's only equal? What would it be like to read the entire Divina Commedia from hell to heaven?

In commemoration of Dante's 700th anniversary, the literature department of UA&P shall hold a Lecturae Dantis, a reading and commentary upon all 100 cantos of the Divine Comedy, at a pace of a canto per Saturday, beginning 18 September 2021 from 10 AM to 12 noon. All 100 cantos shall take about two years to complete.

The Lecturae will be held entirely online via Zoom, is free of charge, and is open to the public. Our readers (speakers) will be mostly from the UA&P. We have also invited guest readers.

Every Saturday starting September 18, 2021, at 10:00AM-12:00PM PHT (GMT+8)

From the CANVAS website: PhP 45,000.00 at stake and book publication! Your winning story can also help us with our efforts to promote children's literacy in the Philippines. Sali na!

Deadline: 5:00 p.m. (Manila time), Saturday, September 18, 2021

Havok Season Themes

Havok Publishing caters to speculative fiction readers and writers. They accept flash fiction in the following genres: mystery, science fiction, comedy, thriller, and fantasy—however, submissions must follow a specified theme. The current one is called "Casting Call," where they list character archetypes to include in your story. Please see their guidelines for more details.

Deadline: October 3, 2021

From the PBBY website: The Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) is now accepting digital entries for the 2021 PBBY-Salanga Prize. The winner shall be given a cash prize of P25,000.00, a medal, and an opportunity to be published. Prizes will be awarded in a ceremony to be held during the celebration of National Children’s Book Day on July 19, 2022.

Deadline: November 5, 2021.

Lampara Prize 2021

Lampara Books is now accepting submissions for Lampara Prize 2021. The Prize has the following categories:

Open Division (Novel / Short Story)

• New Adult Category

• Young Adult Category

• Middle Grade Category

• Children Category

Youth Division (Short Story for Children)

Deadline: December 31, 2021

Ukiyoto Publishing is a traditional publisher that invites Filipino authors, experienced or not, to submit manuscripts. Beginning writers are encouraged to work on an anthology with other authors.

They accept submissions year-round.

Gotham Writers Stories Everywhere

This is a contest held on Twitter. There's a different theme every month.

Deadline: Monthly