January 30, 2009

NCCA LAUNCHES CULTURE PAGE WRITING COMPETITION FOR STUDENTS

The Culture Page Writing Competition is one of the activities lined-up for the 2009 Philippine International Arts Festival to celebrate the National Arts Month (NAM) in February 2009 organized by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

With the goal of promoting Filipino arts and artists to all sectors of society especially to the grass roots level, NCCA reaches out to the youth sector by raising their consciousness and sensitivity to the beauty, diversity, and richness of our arts and culture hence, this competition is being launched to encourage schools, colleges, and universities to feature upcoming NAM events through essays, editorials, photos, photo essays, poems, and other articles relevant to the celebration of NAM.

GUIDELINES

1. Culture Page entries must come from a recognized school paper from any secondary or tertiary school, college, or university.

2. There shall be two categories: Secondary and Tertiary.

3. The culture page may be written in English and/or Filipino.

4. The Culture Page may contain two or more articles on Philippine arts and culture in a section of the newsletter/school paper

5. The Culture Page must at least carry a backgrounder story on the National Arts Month (NAM) through Presidential Proclamation No. 683 in 1991, and as a flagship project of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA): On its 18th year in February 2009, it is taking off with the name Philippine International Arts Festival.

6. The page may include poetry, cartoon, features, essays, photos, innovative researches on the arts, traditions, heritage, habit, customs of the community, and other literary works. Application of culture to sensitize the community to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and an outlet for diversity of their artistic expression is also encouraged.

7. Submission of entries is on February 12,2009. Entries must be in hardcopy (4 copies) and in CD format. Final judging of winners will be on Feb.25,2009.

8. A confirmation letter should be filled up and submitted in hard copy or emailed to NCCA through Mr. Rene Napeñas, Head of NCCA-Public Affairs and Information Office (PAIO) and/or Ms. Brenda G. Corpus, NAM Coordinator for Culture Page Competition till January 31, 2009 to show intent of participation. Email entries to ncca.paio@gmail.com and/or ncca.paio@yahoo.com. Snail mail:NCCA Bldg.633 Gen Luna St. Intramuros, Manila.

9. Prizes:

Tertiary Level:
Winner Luzon - Php 30,000
Winner Visayas - Php 30,000
Winner Mindanao - Php 30,000
Winner NCR - Php 30,000

Secondary Level
Winner Luzon - Php 20,000
Winner Visayas - Php 20,000
Winner Mindanao - Php 20,000
Winner NCR - Php 20,000

Cash prizes will be awarded to the school organ and/or editorial staff.

10. Announcement and awarding of winners will be on March 1,2009 as one at the Sining Gising program of NCCA aired every Sundays over NBN 4 from 4pm to 6pm. Winners will also be mentioned in Agung, the official newsletter of the NCCA.

11. Judging shall be based on the following:

1. Substance/Depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (40%)
2. Visual Appeal . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . (25%)
3. Creativity (Writing style) . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . (15%)
4. Originality . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . (10%)
5. Correctness (language use) . . . . . . . . . . . (10%)
--------
Total . . . . (100%)

12. Judges’ decision is final.

For queries, please contact Mr. Rene Napeñas, head of PAIO, at 5272192.
For inquiries, please contact the Public Affairs and Information Division at (T) 527-5529, (F) 527-2191 local 612-615, or email at info@ncca.gov.ph.

January 28, 2009

PANGASINAN AND ILOCANO WRITERS' CONFERENCE

The University of Pangasinan, in celebration of its 84th Foundation Anniversary and the conferment of the Degree Doctor of Humanities Honoris Causa upon Prof. Francisco Sionil Jose (National Artist for Literature, 2001 & Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for Journalism, Literature and Creative Communication Arts, 1980), shall conduct a Writers’ Conference to be participated in by teachers and students of creative writing, journalists and other writing enthusiasts.

The activity is envisioned to be an opportunity to promote the use of Pangasinan as a medium of literary/creative writing.

Professor F. Sionil Jose will give the keynote speech on "Creative Writing: Towards the Enrichment of Pangasinan and Ilocano Literature."

The Writers’ Conference speakers and discussion topics will be:

• Dr. Ma. Crisanta Nelmida-Flores (University of the Philippines)
  "Writing History and Fiction in Pangasinan"
• Mr. Vim Nadera (University of the Philippines)
  "Creative Writing in the Local Setting"
• Mr. Santiago Villafania (Emilio Aguinaldo College)
  "Poetry Writing in Pangasinan"

The Writers' Conference will be held in the University Library (3rd Flr., Administration Building) on February 11, 2009, 8:30 a.m.

For more info, email the University of Pangasinan Language Institute (UPLI) at uoplanguageinst@yahoo.com.

January 26, 2009

PHILIPPINE SPECULATIVE FICTION 4 BOOK LAUNCH



Philippine Speculative Fiction IV, edited by Dean Francis Alfar and Nikki Alfar, will have its launch on Feb 28, 2009 at 5:30 p.m. over at the U-View Theater of Fully Booked High Street, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. Everyone is invited.

Speculative Fiction is the literature of the imagination. The latest annual collection includes fantasy, science fiction, horror, superhero fiction and other non-realist stories from the minds of Filipino writers from across the country and around the world. Stories from the Philippine Speculative Fiction series have been selected as Honorable Mentions in the international Year’s Best Fantasy & Horror, edited by Ellen Datlow, Kelly Link & Gavin Grant. The anthology has also been a Finalist for the National Book Award.

The husband-and-wife editors, Dean and Nikki Alfar, are both multiple Palanca, Philippines Free Press and National Book awardees.

January 26, 2009

RICKY LEE REPRINTS CLASSIC ANTHOLOGY

Prizewinning fictionist and renowned screenwriter Ricardo "Ricky" Lee will be reprinting his classic anthology, Si Tatang at mga Himala ng Ating Panahon, twenty years after its first publication. Tatang is a collection of short stories, journalistic articles, essays, and the script of the renowned film Himala (recently awarded as the CNN Best Asia Pacific Film of all time). More than 50 photos from the movie plus a collection of photos by Chanda Romero and Richard Gomez are also included in the book. Retail price is at P350.00; release date will be announced soon.

Ricky Lee is the author of the bestselling novel, Para Kay B (o kung paano dinevastate ng pag-ibig ang 4 out of 5 sa atin), released in December 2008, and the scriptwriting manual, Trip to Quiapo.

For advance orders, please e-mail writers.studio12@gmail.com or lagoon@pldtdsl.com; or call (02)928-9557 or 0921-7849363.

by Ewong Martinez

January 25, 2009

THE 2009 MANINGNING MICLAT POETRY AWARD NOW ACCEPTING ENTRIES

RULES OF THE CONTEST

1. The contest is open to all poets of all nationalities, age 28 and below.

2. There are three divisions in the awards:
a) Filipino b) English c) Chinese

3. An entry must consist of at least eight (8) but not more than fifteen (15) poems.

4. Authors may join all the divisions but can submit only one (1) entry in every division.

5. All entries should be original in every language and not a translation of another entry.

6. A work which has been awarded a prize in another contest is not qualified for the awards.

7. Published or unpublished works may be entered in the contest. If published, the date of publication should be within 2008-2009.

8. All entries should be submitted in four (4) copies, double spaced on 8 ½ x 11 inches bond paper with one inch margin on all sides and the page number typed consecutively, e.g., 1 of 10, 2 of 10, and so on.

9. Font should be ARIAL or TIMES NEW ROMAN, and the font size should be 12.

10. Entry should be submitted with pen name only and not real name. Real name and pen name should be submitted in a separate sealed envelope together with a biodata, copy of birth certificate and a notarized declaration of originality and authenticity of authorship of the entry.

11. Entries must be addressed to the Maningning Miclat Art Foundation, Inc. (MMAFI) , 2/F, Mile long Building, Amorsolo St., Legaspi Village, Makati City not later than April 15, 2009. Entries sent by mail or courier should be postmarked/invoiced not later than April 1, 2009.

12. Entries submitted via e-mail should be an RTF (Rich Text Format) or a Word Document file and should be sent as an attachment together with the author’s biodata and copy of birth certificate and notarized certification of originality or authenticity of authorship of entry. The original copy of the notarized certification should then be sent to MMAFI thru mail. Entries submitted via e-mail should be transmitted not later than April 15, 2009.

13. Submitted copies of winning entries shall remain with and become the property of MMAFI. Copyright of the works remains with the author but the latter grants, assigns and transfers into MMAFI the right without necessity of any payment other than the prize which may have been awarded to publish any winning entry or selection or portion thereof as it may at its discretion determine; to make the work available for downloading on the Internet or other electronic medium; and /or to allow students to make copies for research or in connection with their school requirements.

14. Plagiarism is anathema to the contest and MMAFI has the right of action against the author, if it may be later on discovered that said person is not the creator or owner of the copyright to the winning work. The Foundation shall not be liable to any court action if a third party files a case against the winner who plagiarized the work of the said third party.

15. There will only be one Grand Prize winner for each division and the prize is
PhP 28,000.00 and a Julie Lluch sculpture trophy per winning entry.

16. The Board of Judges shall have the discretion not to award any prize if in its judgment no meritorious entry had been submitted.

17. MMAFI has the sole right to designate the persons who shall constitute the Board of Judges in each division of the contest. The decision of the majority of the Board of Judges in all divisions shall be final.

18. The names of the winners and the members of the Board of Judges shall be announced on September 12, 2009.

January 23, 2009

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES FOR LIKHAAN JOURNAL 3

1. For its third issue, Likhaan: the Journal of Contemporary Philippine Literature 3, will accept submissions in the following genres, in both English and Filipino:

•  Short stories ranging from about 12 to 30 pages double-spaced, in 11-12 points Times Roman, New York, Palatino, Book Antique, Arial or some such standard font. (A suite of short prose pieces will be considered.)

•  A suite of four to seven poems, out of which the editors might choose three to five. (Long poems will be considered in lieu of a suite.)

•  Creative nonfiction (essays, memoirs, profiles, etc.), subject to the same length limitations as short stories (see above).

•  Critical/scholarly essays, subject to the same length limitations as short stories (see above)

•  Excerpts from graphic novels, or full short graphic stories, for reproduction in black and white on no more than 10 printed pages, 6” x 9.” (Excerpts should be accompanied by a synopsis of the full narrative.)

2. All submissions must be original, and previously unpublished.

3. All submissions must be accompanied by a biographical sketch (no more than one or two short paragraphs) of the author, including contact information (address, telephone number, e-mail address).

4. Submissions may be e-mailed to likhaanjournal@gmail.com, or posted to The Editors, Likhaan Journal, UP Institute of Creative Writing, Rizal Hall, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, 1101.

5. All submissions should be received (whether by e-mail or post) no later than May 31, 2009.

6. All submissions will undergo a strict pre-screening and blind refereeing process by the editors, and a panel of referees composed of eminent writers and critics from within and outside the University of the Philippines .

7. Writers whose work will be accepted for publication will receive a substantial cash payment and a copy of the published journal.

8. The editors reserve the right to edit any and all materials accepted for publication.

9. The editors may also solicit or commission special, non-refereed articles for publication outside of the aforementioned genres and categories to enhance the editorial content and balance of the journal.

10. Please direct any and all inquiries to the editors at likhaanjournal@gmail.com.

January 23, 2009

NEW HIDALGO BOOK OUT 

The UP Press announces that Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo 's latest book, “Fabulists and Chroniclers,” is now available in local bookstores.

The book contains critical comments on such contemporary issues as: how do memoirs and travel essays function as social history? How do Filipino women writers “perform” the modern wonder tale? Is Latin American fiction the source of Philippine marvelous realism or are our own novelists mining a more powerful, native lode? Have its close connections with academe enriched or diminished Philippine literature in English?

In what may be her most provocative book, Hidalgo also takes a look at chick lit, the modern crime novel, and the literary blog.

But what the ordinary reader—the non-specialist reader who just likes reading books by Filipino authors—may find most useful and interesting is the essay which traces the development of Philippine fiction in English from its beginnings in the early 20 th century to its most recent developments in the work of such young writers as Kit Kwe and Anna Sanchez. This essay should serve as a crash course on the state of the Philippine novel and the short story in English today.

The cover design and artwork is by young artist Rex Dasig Aguilar.

For orders and inquiries, please call the UP Press Marketing Division at 9252930 during office hours.

January 21, 2009

NBDB LAUNCHES NEW PUBLICATIONS

To further promote Philippine books and literature, the National Book Development Board (NBDB), in partnership with the Filipinas Heritage Library (FHL) will be launching three landmark publications on January 28, 4 p.m. at the Filipinas Heritage Library in Makati City .

Coming out are the Catalogue of Award-Winning Philippine Titles, Directory of Book Industry Stakeholders , and Train of Thought (poems from Tulaan sa Tren) . The Catalogue of Award-Winning Titles is a comprehensive catalogue that features all the books which won the National Book Award , Gintong Aklat Award, and the PBBY Salanga Children's Book Award, the most prominent award-giving bodies for books in the country. The Directory of Industry Stakeholders lists NBDB-registered publishers, authors, and other book industry entities. These two publications aim to promote both Philippine publishers, authors, and books here and abroad. Finally, Train of Thought (poems from Tulaan sa Tren) , is the much-awaited compilation of poems featured in the memorable Tulaan sa Tren project in LRT trains posted inside trains and pre-recorded by celebrities and played over LRT's PA systems.

Call for Entries: 2009 PBBY-Alcala Illustrators' Prize

The Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) is now accepting entries for the 2009 PBBY-Alcala Prize. The contest is co-sponsored by the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and The National Library.

The winner shall be given a cash prize of P25,000.00, a gold medal, and an opportunity to be published. Prizes will be awarded in an appropriate ceremony to be held during the celebration of National Children's Book Day on July 21, 2009.

All entries must be sent to the PBBY Secretariat, c/o Adarna House , 2nd Floor FSS Bldg. 20 Scout Tuason Street, Quezon City 1103, Philippines by March 27, 2009.  Complete contest guidelines are found here. For more details, interested parties may contact the Philippine Board on Books for Young People, at 2nd Floor FSS Bldg. 20 Scout Tuason Street, Quezon City 1103, Philippines , Telefax 372-3548 or email pbby [at] adarna.com.ph .

ESL Teacher Wins 2009 PBBY-Salanga Prize

The Philippine Board on Books for Young People awards the 2009 PBBY-Salanga Silver Prize to Raymund Garlitos for his story, Ang Higante sa Loob ng Aming Bahay. The story revolves a young child's feelings and reactions to his OFW father's homecoming. Garlitos is an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher, as well as a freelance journalist.

This year's honorable mention winners are Perry Mangilaya (Di Ko Man Kamukha sina Inay at Itay) and Victoria Bravo (Lola-Lola).

Garlitos shall receive P25,000.00, a gold medal as well have the opportunity to be published. This is not the first time that Garlitos has penned a children's story. In fact, he already has three children's books to his name. One of these, Chenelyn! Chenelyn!, won honorable mention in the same contest, back in 1997.

For inquiries about the contest, contact the PBBY Secretariat at telephone number 372-3548 loc. 105 or email pbby[at]adarna.com.ph.

2009 Summer Klasrum Adarna for Kids

The line-up of our summer workshops for kids is now available. Our summer classes are especially designed to have kids enjoy their summer through learning and literature. The classes offered this year are short story writing and book illustrating for kids aged 11 to 15, book making for 6 to 11 year olds, and storytelling with arts for 3 to 6 year olds.

The printable e-brochure is available here. For details, call 372-3548 local 122 or e-mail ergoe[at]adarna.com.ph.

Adarna House Online Goes Live with Paypal

Adarna House greets 2009 with an exciting upgrade of their online store, which now accepts Paypal. Now, online customers may enjoy better security when using their credit card to purchase products from the Adarna House website . This also means ultimate shopping convenience as we deliver your purchases right to your very door. Check out our online store now!

January 16, 2009

UST 10TH NATIONAL WRITERS WORKSHOP CALL FOR APPLICATIONS


The office of the Writer-in-Residence of the University of Santo Tomas is now accepting manuscripts for the 10th National Writers Workshop to be held this May at UST.

The annual workshop is open to writers who have not been awarded fellowships to any national writers workshop.

An applicant should submit three printed copies (on short bond paper ) and a CD or diskette containing soft copies in MS Word format of his or her manuscript (at least five poems or two fiction or non-fiction pieces in English or Filipino). He or she should submit a resumé, a 2x2 ID photo, and a certification duly signed by an institution/company senior that the manuscript is authentic.

Fifteen fellowships are available, a percentage of which will be given to the Dominican Network of Schools, Colleges and Universities . Deadline is on March 15, 2009. Interested parties may call 406-1611 loc. 8281 (Tuesday to Saturday) or e-mail aldimalanta@gmail.com for more details. Manuscripts should be mailed to Dr. Ophelia A. Dimalanta, UST Writer-in-Residence, ground floor, St. Raymund's Building (Commerce Building), University of Santo Tomas, España, Manila .

-Dulaang ROC of the University of the Asia & the Pacific is offering five free tickets to Hacienda Animal, a Filipino stage adaptation of George Orwell's Animal Farm, translated by Jorge Hernandez and devised and directed by Pat Valera. It runs January 19-January 24, 7:45 p.m., at the Telengtan Hall, 5/F APEC Communications Bldg., University of Asia & the Pacific, Pearl Drive, Ortigas Center, Pasig City. Call Moffy Wee at 0917-8657459 or e-mail moffy08@yahoo.com.

-PETA's production of Tony Perez's Saan Ba Tayo Ihahatid ng Disyembre?, directed by Nonon Padilla and starring film-TV actor Alfred Vargas, runs Feb. 6-March 15, 2009 at the PETA Theater Center, Fridays at 2:30 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. For inquiries or reservations, call PETA Marketing at 4100821 or 0917-8154567 or email petampro@yahoo.com.

-The showdates for the rerun of Tanghalang Pilipino's ZsaZsa Zaturnnah are out, courtesy of Zaturnnah creator Carlo Vergara . The musical runs Feb. 6-March 8, 2009 at the CCP Little Theater. Check out the schedule here. For ticket reservations, call Lorelei or Paolo at 8321125 loc. 1620-1621, 8323661 or 0928-5518645.

http://gibbscadiz.blogspot.com/

Repertory Philippines’ 2009 Season begins with a gem of an offering: Nick Joaquin’s classic “A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino.” Set in pre-war Manila, it tells of two spinster sisters who stay on in their ancestral home with their frail artist father, in spite of conflicts that arise among family members to abandon the old house.

The production brings together some of the country's best actors to flesh out this much-loved work, first staged in early 1955 by the Barangay Theatre Guild in the open-air theater among the ruins of Intramuros. It was Daisy Avellana who first read the play in 1952 in the Weekly Women’s Magazine, and forthwith got Joaquin’s permission to present it, first on radio.

BTG later adapted it for the stage, and it ran for an unprecedented two years. Nick Joaquin’s remembrance of old Manila, resplendent in his prose, was made more luminous by BTG’s actors: Armando Goyena, Koko Trinidad, Nick Agudo, Alfred X. Burgos, Sarah Joaquin, and, of course, Daisy Avellana--whose electric portrayal of Candida is unforgettable.

Repertory’s “Portrait” is directed by no less than Jose Mari Avellana, Daisy’s son, who is a formidable actor in his own right. The music is by another Avellana--Jose Mari's brother Lamberto Jr.

The cast includes Irma Adlawan, Ana Abad Santos, Liesl Batucan, Joel Trinidad, Randy Villarama, Jeremy Domingo, Jay Glorioso, Dido de la Paz, Jenny Jamora, Astarte Abraham, Baby Barredo, Chinggoy Alonso, Lorna Lopez, Oliver Usison, Bonggoy Manahan, Celso Ylagan, Ernie Zarate, Jejie Esguerra and Dingdong Rosales.

Performances are on January 16-February 8, 2009 at Onstage Greenbelt One Theater, Ayala Malls, Makati City, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. with Saturday and Sunday matinees at 3:30 p.m.

Call the Rep office 887-0710 or Ticketworld 891-9999 for ticket inquiries.

http://www.gibbscadiz.blogspot.com/

January 11, 2009

ALITAPTAP SETS STORYTELLING WORKSHOP



The National Library of the Philippines in partnership with Alitaptap Storytellers Philippines, the volunteer storytelling group of the country whose mission is to promote literacy through the art of storytelling, will conduct the Acting and Reading Techniques inStory Telling (ARTIST) Workshop on January 24-25, 2009 (Saturday and Sunday) from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm at the Executive Lounge, 6th Floor, The National Library of the Philippines , T. M. Kalaw Ave., Ermita, Manila, Philippines

A two-day hands-on workshop that allows you to watch other storytellers demonstrate their favorite stories. Find out what stories are interesting to tell, learn different techniques in making storytelling fun to children, learn exercises that can be given to children to develop storytellers.

The workshop fee is Php 500. For confirmation and more details, please contact 0917.539.2630 or e-mail us at alitaptap_storytellers@yahoo.com

Alitaptap Storytellers Philippines, Inc. (ASPI) was founded on February 25, 1999 at Museo Pambata ng Maynila. ASPI is a guild of volunteer storytellers whose mission is to instill among children the love of reading and the appreciation of children’s literature through the art of storytelling.

They also offer storytelling workshop and performances for out-of-town sessions at very affordable costs.

January 10, 2009

ROMEO FORBES CHILDREN'S STORYWRITING COMPETITION

Start the year right and join CANVAS' 5th Annual Romeo Forbes Children's Storywriting Competition! This year's contest is based on an original untitled oil on canvas painting by Juanito Torres (see above).

Please read the rules carefully. There are a number of changes from our previous competitions, not least of which is a P5,000.00 increase in the cash prize.

In addition to receiving P35,000.00 in cash and a trophy, the winning author will also see his/her story rendered and published as a full color children's book in mid-2010.

CONTEST RULES:

1. The 2009 Romeo Forbes Children's Storywriting Competition is open to all Filipinos.

2. Entries must not have been previously published, and all entrants must warrant the originality of their submitted entries.

3. Writers may submit only one entry, in English or Filipino, which shall be limited to 1,800 words or less.

4. There is no particular theme, other than the use of this year's contest piece by artist Juanito Torres as the inspiration or basis for the entry.

5. Judging Process.

• A CANVAS review panel shall read and award points for stories received based on the following criteria:

o Originality and Storyline (40%)
o Imagery (30%)
o Quality of Writing (20%)
o X-Factor/Judges' discretion (10%)

• Based on the points received, CANVAS shall forward a shortlist of at least five stories with the highest scores to the Artist. The Artist shall then provide comments on any or all the stories, for consideration by the panel of judges.
• The panel of judges - taking the contest criteria and Artist comments into non-binding consideration - shall collectively choose the winner from the shortlist of stories.
• If the judges cannot come to a consensus on the winner, they shall take a vote and the entry that gains the most number of votes shall be declared the winner.
• None of CANVAS' review panel, the judges or the Artist shall see the entrant's name until the winner is chosen.

6. Entries must be submitted by email, as a Microsoft Word attachment, to storycontest@ canvas.ph with the subject heading 2009 ROMEO FORBES CHILDREN'S STORYWRITING COMPETITION.

Only the story title should appear on all pages of the entry, except for the cover page on which the entrants shall indicate their name, mailing and email address, telephone number, and the title of their submitted story.

7. The deadline for submission of entries is 5:00 p.m. (Manila time), Friday 20 March 2009. Note: CANVAS sends an acknowledgment for each and every entry that we receive. If you submitted a story, and did not receive an acknowledgment from us within 24 hours, please assume that your story was not received and kindly resend it to us.

Nevertheless, entries received after the deadline, even if sent earlier, will no longer be considered for the competition. CANVAS shall not be responsible for entries which are not received, or which are received after the deadline, due to technical failure or for any other reason whatsoever.

8. Subject to Rule 13 below, by submitting an entry, all entrants thereby agree to authorize CANVAS to post such entries on its website or blog, as CANVAS deems fit, and free from any payments, royalties or fees whatsoever.

9. There shall be only one winner, who shall receive a cash prize of PhP 35,000.00 (less the applicable withholding tax) and a trophy for his/her entry. The winner shall be responsible for all applicable taxes.

The winning writer shall also be entitled to five (5) free copies upon publication of the book.

The winner shall grant and transfer to CANVAS all intellectual property and publication rights to the story, including the right to translate, adapt and/or make modifications thereto. (Please see our short note on why we have this rule.)

It is hereby understood that the cash prize to be awarded to the winner shall include consideration of such intellectual property and publication rights to the story, and the writer shall not be entitled to any other royalties or fees from earnings, if any, that may result from future publication of, derivative works, licensing of, or other transactions on the same.

Except for the right to publish any received entry on its website and/or blog, CANVAS shall not retain any other rights to entries that are not selected as the winner, except where separate agreements are reached with the writers.

10. CANVAS shall exercise full and exclusive editorial and artistic control over the publication of the winning entry and resulting book.

11. While it is the full intention of CANVAS to publish the winning entry as a full-color children's book, CANVAS reserves the right not to publish the same for any reason whatsoever.

12. The winner of the CANVAS storywriting competition will be announced on or around 20 April, 2009. The winner will also be notified via email on the same announcement date.

13. CANVAS reserves the right not to award the top competition prize in the event that the judges decide that no entry was received that is deserving of the top prize. In such event, however, CANVAS shall have no right whatsoever over all entries that were received; and shall not publish any entry, in its website or in any other venue, without the prior written consent or agreement of the author.

14. The decision of the competition judges shall be final, and no correspondence or inquiries into the same – including requests for points received/comments/ feedback on received entries – shall be entertained.

15. Employees of CANVAS, 1/of Gallery and members of their immediate family, as well as the Artist's immediate family, are disqualified from participating in the competition.

Why We Ask for the Transfer of Rights

The competition rules clearly state that the winning author should agree to transfer all rights to CANVAS and "...shall not be entitled to any other royalties or fees from earnings, if any, that may result from future publication of, derivative works, licensing of, or other transactions on the same."

This rule has understandably raised quite a few eyebrows in the writers' community, and this note is just to clarify where it is that CANVAS is coming from.

First of all, having complete ownership of the story rights makes it easier and less complicated for us to quickly and liberally share and give our consent to anyone who may ask for permission to use the winning story (something that we have always granted in the past).

It is for this very reason that the stories and illustrations of books we publish are all available for free viewing and enjoyment on our website (www.canvas. ph), despite the concern of some that the easy availability of the stories on the Internet could eat into the sales of our books (which, happily, has not proven to be the case).

We will now take it one step further. Just as we did for Message in the Sand,we will make all our stories available and downloadable on our website FOR FREE, in both English and Filipino. Just as we were fortunate enough to have been given permission to adapt "The Man Who Planted Trees," into our maiden publication- -"Elias and His Trees"-- we hope that the stories that we work on will inspire similar creativity.

A second reason why we ask for the transfer of rights is that CANVAS is a small NGO, and is not equipped to document and track royalty shares that ideally should accrue to authors and artists. In fact, we only rely on and trust our partner publisher(s) to remit to us our own royalty shares. It is for this reason that our prizes (we think), are quite substantial and approximates (if not exceeds) what writers would normally expect to receive in royalties.

Third, we are also trying to get the stories published abroad. Now, should we get really lucky and end up on the NY Times Bestseller List or say, get our book selected by Oprah, we will make things right with the artist and writer (you'll just have to trust us on this)… but until then, having demonstrably complete ownership over the rights, again, makes it easier and less complicated for us to approach and negotiate with would-be publishers (who hopefully would not be spooked by our giving out downloadable e-books for free in the first place).

Finally, we are also trying to be financially sustainable. We rely on a small amount of grant funding to conduct our activities, including co-sharing the publication costs of the books. We can only hope to recoup the expenses so that we can do these activities on a continuing and recurring basis in the years to come.

Please be assured of our continuing effort to balance our desire to contribute to the public domain in a manner that is also fair to the writers and artists, on the one hand; and our need to also be fiscally responsible with the grants that have been entrusted to us, and to the publishers that we partner with, on the other.

To know more about CANVAS, pleaselog on to www.canvas.ph.

"Weeks after reading the novel, Ricky Lee's characters continue to haunt me. They mesmerize, seduce, and provoke. There is hardly anything orthodox about them or the style in which their stories were written, but they are all so compelling because at the core of Ricky's work is the universal, irresistible yearning to find love-no matter how flawed, painful, or even dangerous-as long as it makes us hope that it's worth it. And it is," observed film director Marilou Diaz-Abaya

Join us on January 24 (Saturday) at Powerbooks Trinoma, 4pm.

Special prizes await early birds!

January 8, 2009

EDGAR SAMAR LAUNCHES NCCA WRITERS PRIZE BOOK

Edgar Calabia Samar's first novel Walong Diwata ng Pagkahulog will be launched on January 27, 2009, 4:30 p.m. at the Ateneo Social Science Conference Rooms 1 & 2 at the Ateneo de Manila University campus.

Fictionist Jun Cruz Reyes wrote the blurb for Samar's fourth book and very first novel. Reyes was also on the board of judges for the NCCA Writer's Prize in 2005 which Samar won for this manuscript. The novel is published by Anvil and is priced at P250.00.

The book launch is in coordination with the Ateneo Institute of Literary Arts and Practices Everyone is invited. For inquiries, call 426-6001 local 5320.

Read Edgar Samar's blog here.

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