Sweeter the Second Time

The January 22 issue of The Philippine Graphic finally released the winners of its Philippine Graphic-Nick Joaquin Literary Awards for 2006. They are:

First Prize: Virgilio Harry C. Tejero, for Perfume Close to My Heart.
Second Prize: Mario Ignacio Miclat, for Antonio and His China Wall.
Third Prize: E.B. Maranan, for Luna's Land.

The judges are: Adrian T. Cristobal, Vicente Garcia Groyon and Lito Zulueta.

In his essay on the winning pieces, Groyon says that many of the stories published in the magazine from August 2005 to August 2006 have unusual content. He also adds that a number of them have deviated from conventional realist fiction in one way or another.

For my part, it's worth noting that this is the second consecutive time Tejero won in this contest, and more impressively, in the same position. It's also worth noting that this is not the first time Miclat's story won an award; it first won a second-prize Palanca--way back in 1988!

CONGRATULATIONS to the winners!