Familiarizing with some of the works of 21st century regional Philippine literature writers in the country
21st Century Regional Philippine Literature refers to any written literary genre emphasizing characters, dialect, customs, and topography native to a specific region in the country written, printed and published from the start of the new millennium up to the present time.
Victor Dennis T. Nierva (Bicol)
He was born in 1980 and is a native of Naga City. At age 27, he published his first book in 2007 “Antisipasyon asin iba pang Rawitdawit sa Bikol asin Ingles”(Anticipation and other Poems in Bikol and English).
For the use of local dialects and settings in this book, he won the Philippine National Book Award for Poetry and the Manila Critics Circle in 2008.
Cecilia Manguerra Brainard (Cebu)
Although born in the post WW2 era, Cecilia continues to be a productive writer of the new millennium.
Her works for the 21st century includes: Magdalena (2001 novel); Vigan and other Stories (2011); Out of Cebu: Essays and Personal Prose (2012); and Fundamentals of Creative Writing (2009).
Melchor F. Cichon (Iloilo)
His 2001 Aklanon haiku with English translations "Siniad-SiadngaKaeangitan/Strips of Heaven” was recognized with the Gawad Pambansang Alagadni Balagtas by the Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas (UMPIL).
Cichon also maintains various blogs―Events in My Life, Dawn to Dawn, Profile of Filipino Fisheries Scientists, Fisheries Librarian and Aklanon Literature―for the promotion of Aklanon literature including his other interests as former chief librarian of the Fisheries Dept. of UP Visayas.
Candy Quimpo Gourlay (Davao)
She was born in Davao City but now residing in the United Kingdom.
In 2010, her debut novel Tall Story won the 2011 Europe Crystal Kite Award and the 2012 Philippine National Children’s Book Award.Again in 2014, her 2nd novel, Shine won the Crystal Kite Award for Britain and Ireland.
Marivi Soliven Blanco (Manila)
Marivi Soliven, who is now based in San Diego, USA, wrote a novel entitled The Mango Bride which was released internationally by the global publisher Penguin Books in 2013. This same novel, which was then known as In The Service of Secrets, won for her the prestigious Carlos Palanca Memorial Award in the novel category in 2011.
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