Celebrations and Conversations
The Albay Arts Foundation and the Bicol University College of Education, with the support of the Naga City Arts and Culture Coalition, invite the public to a celebration of the 2024 National Literature Month in “Longings and Lores, Landscapes and Loves: Celebrations and Conversations” on 24 April 2024, Wednesday, 1-5pm, at the Gabaldon Building Hall, BUCEILS Elementary Department, Bicol University, Daraga, Albay.
For attendance,
This afternoon’s program brings together four distinguished women literary figures from contemporary Bikol. Through concise lectures and engaging conversations, writers Maria Leny Felix, Maryanne Moll, Paz Verdades M. Santos, and Merlita Lorena-Tariman will offer fresh and intimate perspectives on literature, writing, their specific genres, and Bikol as the backdrop of their artistic expression. This event promises to be multidisciplinary, as the speakers will delve into the intersections of their writing with personal experiences, literary themes, and societal advocacies, exploring the challenges of their times.
SPEAKERS
Maria Leny Felix, nonfiction/food writing
Maria Leny E. Felix breaks culinary norms with “Rekado asin Rekwerdo,” delving into Bikol’s flavors. As an organic farmer and food security advocate, she infuses native ingredients into creative dishes. With expertise in evaluation, organization development, and governance, she intertwines literature and tradition in her cookbook, safeguarding Bikol’s cultural legacy.
Maryanne Moll, fiction/novel
Maryanne Moll, author of collections including “Awakenings” and “Little Freedoms,” and novels such as “Married Women” and “The Maps of Camarines.” Honored at prestigious literary awards, featured in anthologies, she’s a former journalist and currently pursuing a Master’s in Comparative Literature.
Paz Verdadez M. Santos, literary criticism
Doods Santos shines in Philippine literature, honored with awards like the National Book Award for Bikol Fiction and the Gawad Francisco Balagtas. A Fulbright Fellow and veteran literature educator, she now leads Sumaro sa Salog, merging literary and social advocacy. Recently, the DLSU Publishing House released her critical essay collection, “Pagmangno: Nation, Women, Ecology, Bikol.”
Merlita Lorena Tariman, poetry
Merlita Lorena Tariman, a trilingual poet, weaves verses in English, Filipino, and Bikol. Her poetry graces esteemed publications like Focus and Philippines Free Press, and anthologies like “Ang Silid na Mahiwaga.” Her Bikol-Filipino collection, “Pinatubo At Iba Pang Tula,” emerged in 2014, supported by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.
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Madya na, irukyaw an arte saka literaturang Bikolnon!
