It's An Honor Just To Be Nominated
Just arrived home from the National Book Awards ceremony, and though it's truly an honor to be nominated, I have to confess I feel a tad bad right now. The Manila Critics Circle failed to reach a consensus regarding the Anthology, Drama, Editing and Novel categories, and as a result didn’t declare a winner in any of them. Kaasar. No matter; I’ll be fine again in a while.
Anyhow, to those who want to know who won, take a look at my previous post, where I denote the winners in blue. And by the way, Anvil Publishing won Publisher of the Year for the nth time.
CONGRATULATIONS to all the winners!UPDATE (September 2):CONGRATULATIONS too to this year's Palanca winners! See the complete list here.
2006 National Book Award Finalists
In stark contrast to his namesake and his column, creative writer and critic Isagani R. Cruz delivered some welcome news yesterday through his Philippine Star column Mini Critique:
NATIONAL BOOK AWARDS
by Isagani R. Cruz
The 25th National Book Awards, for books published in 2005, will be announced at the Manila International Book Fair on August 31, Thursday, at 4 p.m., at the World Trade Center. All finalists, as well as former winners of the awards, are invited to attend the awarding ceremonies. This year’s awards are sponsored by the National Book Development Board and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.
Esther Pacheco will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award, only the second one given by the Manila Critics Circle. The first was given to Gloria Rodriguez in 1992.
Citations will be given to three sets of books: Angono, Rizal, by Ligaya G. Tiamson-Rubin (UST Publishing House); Kultura Mangya, edited by Antoon Postma (Mangyan Heritage Center); Makata sa Cellphone, by Frank G. Rivera (UST Publishing House).
Here is the list of the finalists:
ANTHOLOGY: Philippine Speculative Fiction, edited by Dean Francis Alfar.
ALFONSO T. ONGPIN AWARD FOR BEST BOOK ON ART: Anita Magsaysay-Ho, by Alfredo Roces; Tanaw, edited by Ramon E.S. Lerma.
AUTO/BIOGRAPHY: Bababa Ba? O Bababa, by Jose Abeto Zaide; Don’t Ever Tell Me You Can’t, by Celia Ruiz Tomlinson; John F. Hurley, S.J., edited by Jose S. Arcilla, S.J.; The Last Full Moon, by Gilda Cordero Fernando; Light a Fire, by Eduardo B. Olaguer.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS: The Bangko Sentral & the Philippine Economy, edited by Vicente B. Valdepeñas Jr.; Making Your Money Work: Pera Mo, Palaguin Mo 2, by Francisco J. Colayco; Pwede Na!, by Efren Ll. Cruz; Setting Frameworks, by Elfren Cruz; The Way We Work, edited by Maria Regina M. Hechanova and Edna P. Franco.
CHILDREN’S LITERATURE: Baha!, by Eugene Y. Evasco; Elias and His Trees/Mga Puno ni Elias, by Augie Rivera and Mike Rivera; The Yellow Paper Clip with Bright Purple Spots, by Nikki Dy-Liacco.
COMIC BOOKS: Mars Ravelo’s Lastikman, by Gerry Alanguilan, Arnold Arre and Edgar Tadeo; Siglo: Passion, edited by Dean Francis Alfar and Vincent Simbulan.
COOKBOOKS AND FOOD: Gabay sa Pagkain ng Gulay-Dagat, by Paciente A. Cordero Jr.; Slow Food, edited by Erlinda Enriquez Panlilio and Felice Prudente Sta. Maria.
DRAMA: 10X10X10: Sampung Tigsasampung Minutong Dula ng Sampung Mandudula, edited by Rody Vera and Alfonso I. Dacanay; Mga Piling Dulang Pambata, edited by Arthur P. Casanova.
EDITING: Tandoz and Other Stories, by Delfin Fresnosa, edited by Teresita E. Erestain.
EDUCATION: Edukasyong Pampubliko, by Emmanuel Francisco Calairo; University Traditions, edited by Ramon C. Sunico.
ESSAY: The Cardinal’s Sins, The General’s Cross, The Martyr’s Testimony and Other Affirmations, by Gregorio C. Brillantes; The True and the Plain, by Kerima Polotan.
SHORT FICTION: Calvary Road, by Abdon M. Balde Jr.; Jungle Planet and Other Stories, by Lakambini A. Sitoy; Selected Stories, by Jose Y. Dalisay Jr.; White Elephants, by Angelo R. Lacuesta.
JUAN C. LAYA AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL IN A PHILIPPINE LANGUAGE: May Tibok ang Puso ng Lupa, by Bienvenido A. Ramos.
JUAN C. LAYA AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE: Banana Heart Summer, by Merlinda Bobis; Out of Doors, by Ernesto Superal Yee.
FILM: Making Documentaries in the Philippines, by Isabel Enriquez Kenny.
FOLKLORE: Literature of Voice, edited by Nicole Revel; Myth, Mimesis and Magic in the Music of the T’boli, Philippines, by Manolete Mora; Tales from the Land of Salt, by Emmanuel S. Sison.
HISTORY: Davao, by Macario D. Tiu; The Malacañan Palace, by Manuel L. Quezon III, Paulo Alcazaren and Jeremy Burns; Pattens of Continuity and Change, by Helen Yu-Rivera; To Love and to Suffer, by Luciano Santiago; Tsinoy, by Teresita Ang See, Go Bon Juan, Doreen Go Yu and Yvonne Chua; Under Three Flags, by Benedict Anderson.
LINGUISTICS: Sawikaan 2004, edited by Galileo S. Zafra and Romulo P. Baquiran Jr.
MEDICINE AND HEALTH: The Truth about Coconut Oil, by Conrado S. Dayrit.
MUSIC: Tunugan, by Ramon Pagayon Santos.
PERSONAL ANTHOLOGY: Jose Rizal, by Frank G. Rivera, edited by Arthur P. Casanova; Sakit ng Kalingkingan, by Rolando B. Tolentino.
POETRY: Dark Hours, by Conchitina R. Cruz; Days of Grace, by R. Torres Pandan; Misterios and Other Poems, by J. Neil C. Garcia; Pana-panahon, by Aida F. Santos; Saulado, by Rebecca T. Añonuevo.
REFERENCE: 100 Questions Filipino Kids Ask, by Liwliwa Malabed and Emylou Infante.
SOCIAL SCIENCES: Authentic Though Not Exotic, by Fernando Nakpil Zialcita; Kapwa, by Katrin de Guia; The Making of the Igorot, by Gerald A. Finn; The Star-Entangled Banner, by Sharon Delmendo; State and Society in the Philippines, by Patricio N. Abinales and Donna J. Amoroso.
SPECIAL INTEREST: Huling Ptyk, by Pandy Aviado; Sylvia Mayuga and Dario Marcelo; Ngalang Pinoy, edited by Neni Sta. Romana-Cruz; Mga Panibagong Kulam sa Pag-ibig, by Tony Perez, edited by Susie Baclagon-Borrero.
THEOLOGY AND RELIGION: Pagsubok sa Ilang, by Tony Perez; A Pilgrim’s Notes, by Fausto B. Gomez, O.P.; The Prayer Our Lord Taught Us, by Jose M. de Mesa.
TRANSLATION: Fr. Francisco Coronel’s Arte y Reglas, Kapampangan Grammar and Rules, circa 1621, translated by Edilberto V. Santos.
TRAVEL: Ciudad Murada, by Jose Victor Z. Torres; A Pilgrim’s Diary, by Angela Blardony Ureta.
BEST DESIGN: Huling Ptyk, by Pandy Aviado, Sylvia Mayuga and Dario Marcelo, designed by Pandy Aviado and Carminnie Doromal; The Last Full Moon, by Gilda Cordero Fernando, designed by M.G. Chaves; A Pilgrim’s Diary, by Angela Blardony Ureta, designed by Ige Ramos.
To my fellow finalists this year, CONGRATULATIONS! See you at the awarding!
Assorted Annoucements
Now it can be told: I DID NOT WIN THIS YEAR. Ü But over the last few days I got to know people who did win a Palanca this year, and I’m not talking about Lawrence L. Ypil (first prize, Poetry) or Sid Gomez Hildawa (second prize, Poetry), or the awesome Alfars.
Like who? Well, there’s the one who won first prize in the Dulang May Isang Yugto category (his play was performed in last month's Virgin Labfest 2, and it’s his first win). And the one who earned second prize in the Dulang Pantelebisyon category (he had won before in the Dulang Pampelikula category in 2000 and 2002). And the one who got third prize in the Futuristic Fiction—English category (he’s a friend of a very good friend of mine, and it’s his first win). And the one who also won third prize, but in the Short Story category (she won in 2004, but in the Short Story for Children category). And just in case you might ask where I got these pieces of information, I got these from some writer-friends. Ü
I’m sure more will come out in the coming days. It always does every year.
On an entirely different matter, I recently stumbled on the online version of my review of Raya Martin’s prizewinning digifilm Maicling Pelicula nañg Ysañg Indio Nacional, which was published in the July 17 issue of Newsbreak. If interested, read it here.
Speaking of digifilms, I got to watch almost all the Cinemalaya feature-length films in competition at the CCP a few weeks ago. I thought the semifictive Tulad ng Dati was the best of the lot; it truly shows what a great band The Dawn is. Batad was all right, but it reminded me too much of the Iranian film Children of Heaven and, in some parts, F. Sionil Jose’s The God Stealer. Donsol was technically polished but I felt the leads, Sid Lucero and Angel Aquino, lacked chemistry. Ang Huling Araw ng Linggo used the La Ronde structure, but in a rather simplistic way. Worse, it overstates its point in the end, as if to make sure the audience would get it. Rotonda also used the same structure—and more successfully at that—but it took too long to make its point. Plus, I HATE its inclusion of the madwoman in a dress that looked like the Philippine flag. Rio Locsin gave a fine performance as the title character in Mudraks, but I have serious problems with its handling of its chosen point of view. And as for Saan Nagtatago si Happiness, it should’ve been titled Sana Tinago Pa si Happiness. But really, Mes de Guzman’s refreshingly artless and unpretentious Ang Daan Patungong Kalimugtong (first shown last year) was the best digifilm I watched during this year's Cinemalaya festival.
And last but not the least, Dean and Ian has posted about retired Supreme Court Justice Isagani A. Cruz's disturbingly homophobic column. Well, PDI has published Manuel Quezon III's very vigorous response to it yesterday. Let the backlash begin.
