2009 NCCA WRITERS’ PRIZE OPENS

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) is now accepting entries for the 2009 NCCA Writers’ Prize, which is one of the country’s top literary awards. Originally conceptualized by National Artist for Literature Virgilio Almario during his stint at the NCCA, the biennial award aims to “encourage the continuing development of a pluralistic culture by the people themselves”.

The NCCA Writers’ Prize further hopes to create an avenue for writers to have a direct hand in the development of Filipino literature through the P250,000 grant to be given to each of the winners to be given in four tranches. Through the grant, the writers will be freed from the demands of their work and shall be able to focus on the writing project for one year.

The grant is open to all Filipino writers, of legal age, except to the officers and members of the NCCA Secretariat and the incumbent Executive Council Members of the NCCA Committee on Literary Arts and Committee on Dramatic Arts.

MECHANICS For the 2009 NCCA Writers’ Prize competition, the following shall be the requirements in the submission of entries:

1. Applicants must submit an accomplished application form, available at the NCCA Planning, Policy Formulation, and Programming Division (P/PFPD) or download from the NCCA website: http://www.ncca.gov.ph, curriculum vitae, and a 3 – 5 page concept paper discussing the rationale and significance of the project, the initial output of the project which shall be submitted in four (4) printed copies along with the concept paper. Category Initial Output 1. Novel – Filipino language First 50 pages 2. Poetry – Ilocano language 10 poems; 1 poem per page 3. Drama – Bicolano language 1 act for a full length drama, 2 1-act plays 4. Drama – Cebuano language 1 act for a full length drama; 2 1-act plays 5. Essay – Kapampangan language 3 chapters or no less than 50 pages All the sample works shall be in typewritten form. Manuscript and concept paper shall not bear the name of the applicant in any of the pages.

2. Applicants are allowed to apply in only one (1) category.

3. Applications will be evaluated by an Ad Hoc Screening Committee selected by the Committee on Literary Arts and the Committee on Dramatic Arts. There will be three members of the screening committee per category.

Previous winners of the NCCA Writers’ Prize included Lourd de Veyra of the Radioactive Sago Project, Alfred Yuson, culture and literary writer from the Philippine Star and Danton Remoto, a Palanca-awardee.

The application forms and mechanics are available at NCCA - Plan, Project Formulation and Program Division – Institutional Programs office in NCCA and can be downloaded from www.ncca.gov.ph For details, please contact FRANCES ALINCASTRE, Planning Officer of the NCCA-Plan, Project Formulation and Program Division (P/PFPD) – Institutional Programs at (02) 527-2214 / 527-2192 loc. 503, or log on www.ncca.gov.ph. NCCA-P/PFPD is located at Room 5-A, 5th Floor of the NCCA Building at 633 Gen. Luna St., Intramuros, Manila.

For more details, visit www.ncca.gov.ph

“With best regards,

Filippo Bettini, President of the Committee.”

Gémino H. Abad hails from Cebu. He earned his B.A. English from the University of the Philippines in 1964 and Ph.D. in English literature from the University of Chicago in 1970. He served the University of the Philippines in various capacities: as Secretary of the University, Secretary of the Board of Regents, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Director of the U.P. Institute of Creative Writing. For many years, he also taught English, comparative literature and creative writing at U.P. Diliman.

Abad co-founded the Philippine Literary Arts Council (PLAC) which published Caracoa, a poetry journal in English. His other works include Fugitive Emphasis (poems, 1973); In Another Light (poems and critical essays, 1976); A Formal Approach to Lyric Poetry (critical theory, 1978); The Space Between (poems and critical essays, 1985); Poems and Parables (1988); Index to Filipino Poetry in English, 1905-1950 (with Edna Zapanta Manlapaz, 1988) and State of Play (letter-essays and parables, 1990). He edited landmark anthologies of Filipino poetry in English, among them Man of Earth (1989), A Native Clearing (1993) and A Habit of Shores: Filipino Poetry and Verse from English, ’60s to the ’90s (1999). The University of the Philippines has elevated Abad to the rank of University Professor, the highest academic rank awarded by the university to an exemplary faculty member.

He currently sits on the Board of Advisers of the U.P. Institute of Creative Writing and teaches creative writing as Emeritus University Professor at the College of Arts and Letters, U.P. Diliman.

Special edition of Ricky Lee’s anthology to be launched on May 31

Si Tatang at Mga Himala ng Ating Panahon, Ricky Lee’s groundbreaking anthology, will be reissued as a special collector’s edition in a book launch on May 31, 3:00 p.m. at Powerbooks – SM Megamall Building A.

First released in 1988, Si Tatang combines Lee’s feature articles, interviews and short stories, including “Servando Magdamag” and “Kabilang sa mga Nawawala.” It also features the full-sceenplay of the Nora Aunor-starrer Himala, which recently won CNN Viewers' Choice as the Best Asia Pacific Film of All Time, besting Akira Kurosawa and Wong Kar Wai films in the process.

This special edition features a new cover design, improved lay-out, new photographs and illustrations, plus 28 additional pages with a reprinted feature about Direk Lino Brocka written after his death in 1992 and a newly-written article on the making of Himala that relates never-before-revealed behind the scene anecdotes.

Ricky Lee is also the author of Trip to Quiapo, considered the Filipino scriptwriting bible. His successful first novel Para kay B (o kung paano dinevastate ng pag-ibig ang 4 out of 5 sa atin) continues to capture the readers' imagination and has been reprinted barely three months after it was launched last November. Si Tatang at Mga Himala ng Ating Panahon will be available come May 31 at all National Bookstore outlets and selected bookshops.

Pre-orders will get a P70.00 discount through Jerry at 0921-7849363 / 0917-5331948 . Special gifts will be given for those who can bring old copies of the book during the launch.

28th National Book Awards now open for nominations

The National Book Development Board (NBDB) and the Manila Critics Circle (MCC) are now accepting nominations for the 28 th National Book Awards.

NOMINATION/SELECTION CRITERIA

General Guidelines and Definitions

1. Book:  A printed and bound volume. At this time, the awards do not cover electronic books. Textbooks or books with exercises meant for classroom use are not considered books for purposes of the awards.

2. Eligible Book:  A book copyrighted and published in the Philippines in the calendar year immediately preceding the year the award is given is eligible for the award. If it was copyrighted in an earlier year but was launched only during the previous year, a book may be nominated provided it was not considered for the award during the year of its copyright. Except for books authored by members of the MCC and the BOJ, there are no restrictions as regards authorship; authors may be Filipinos or non-Filipinos, individuals or groups, dead or alive. Books published earlier or in the same year outside the country but published independently by a Philippine publisher are eligible.

3. Ineligible Book:  A reprint of a book already considered during a previous award year, a second or later edition (even if revised or enlarged), a book with plagiarized passages, a book that infringes on copyright, a book by a publisher not duly registered with the NBDB, a book authored by an NBDB-appointed judge in the category s/he is judging, and any title authored by any member of the MCC are automatically disqualified from competing for the awards.

4. Nominated Book:  A book may be nominated if it is better written and more significant than other books in its category. Writing includes mechanics or grammar, typographical errors, copy editing, structure of thought and ideas, and style. Significance includes original contribution to its field of study or interest, accuracy of data, and reader impact. The reputation of the publisher, distribution, and actual sales figures are irrelevant to the awards.

5. Design:  Except for the award for Best Design, the design of a book is secondary to content in the selection of the finalists and winners, unless the design seriously hampers the delivery of the content.

DIVISIONS

Literary Titles

Literary Awards are given to books that include or are about creative writing. These include the following: Fiction, General Nonfiction, Auto/biography, Poetry, Criticism.

1.1. Autobiography / Biography – a book offering an account of the life or lives of a real person or persons.

A nominated book is well-written, coherent, and substantial, regardless of the importance of the person or persons portrayed.

A winning book offers an account of a person or persons that made a significant contribution to a field of human experience.  If two or more books are tied for the award, the one that is better written in terms of literary quality is declared the winner.

1.2. Fiction (Novel and Short Fiction) – a book that contains a full-length story (i.e., a novel) of at least 50,000 words, or a collection of two or more short stories, or stories not long enough to be novels.

A nominated book offers a narrative that follows the conventions of the writing of long literary fiction, such as plurisignification, logical structure, consistency of characterization, and precision in the use of language and literary devices.  The book may deliberately challenge these conventions, but there should be clear evidence that the novelist has done so not out of ignorance but out of deep knowledge of the tradition of the novel.

A winning book both delights and instructs, offering breadth and depth comparable to the Philippine novels earlier given National Book Awards.  If the book is a collection of short stories, there should be a unifying theme or motif among the stories. If two or more books are tied for the award, the one that is better written in terms of literary quality is declared the winner.

1.2.1. Local Language – any of the 171 languages indigenous to the Philippines , including but not limited to the national language.

1.2.2. Foreign Language – any of the languages not indigenous to the Philippines , such as Arabic, Chinese, English, and Spanish.

1.3. General Nonfiction – a book that offers an account of a real person, place, thing, or event – or several real persons, places, things, or events--using the techniques of fiction (and/or combing these with techniques of poetry and drama). It may also be a collection of short personal essays.

A winning book reads like a novel or a collection of short fiction even if it narrates events that really happened.  If two or more books are tied for the award, the one that is better written in terms of literary quality is declared the winner.

1.4.  Literary Criticism / Literary History – a book that contains either a continuous work or several articles in the field of literary criticism, literary theory, or literary history.

A nominated book shows evidence of the author's having taken into account the latest books in literary theory, both local and foreign.  The book must apply tools derived from contemporary theory to texts created by Philippine writers, though it could also contain analyses of works by non-Philippine writers.

A winning book is at the cutting-edge of literary theory, criticism, or history, exploring new areas of scholarship or reading that go beyond what is already available in academic circles. If two or more books are tied for the award, the one that offers a new literary theory or a new component of an existing literary theory or that presents a new reading of texts is declared the winner.

1.5.  Poetry – a book that contains either a continuous poem or several poems.

A nominated book offers poems that follow the conventions of poetry, whether of traditional, modern, or avantgarde poetry, including but not limited to the interaction of sound and sense, profound sensibility, and awareness of poetic genres.

A winning book offers fresh insights into the human condition, particularly the condition of Filipinos inside or outside the country. If two or more books are tied for the award, the one that develops the poetic form into new or relatively unexplored frontiers is declared the winner.

1.6. Graphic Literature – a book that contains auto-biography, creative nonfiction, fiction, or other literary genre, but in graphic or illustrated, rather than purely verbal form.

A nominated book offers a narrative or anthology of narratives that follows the conventions of the writing of literary graphic fiction, such as congruence of verbal and illustrated content, logical structure, consistency of characterization, and precision in the use of visual and literary devices. 

A winning book both delights and instructs, offering breadth and depth comparable to the Philippine graphic novels, anthologies, or comic books earlier given National Book Awards.  If the book is a collection of separate texts, there should be a unifying theme or motif among these texts. If two or more books are tied for the award, the one that is better written in terms of literary quality is declared the winner.

Any publisher registered with the National Book Development Board (NBDB) may nominate a literary title as defined above, published in the previous year, by sending a letter of nomination and by submitting an initial two (2) copies of that title for consideration of a chosen literary organization in the above categories, in English, Filipino, or any other language. The publisher must clearly state in the letter of nomination under which category he wants his title considered.

The NBDB will forward these nominations to a chosen literary organization registered with the National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA) for prescreening. Nominated titles for different categories may not necessarily be given to one literary organization. The NBDB reserves the right to choose the literary organizations for each category, subject to the approval of the Chair of the NBDB Governing Board. The literary organizations will be given thirty (30) days from receipt of the nominated titles to come up with a short list.

Literary organizations registered with the NCCA may nominate titles to the NBDB, which shall not go through a prescreening process as long as the nomination is signed by the head of the organization.

Only titles prescreened by a chosen literary organization, when nominated by a publisher, or directly nominated by a literary organization registered with the NCCA may be considered by the BOJ.

Publishers of titles submitted for prescreening and short-listed by these literary organizations, or by an NCCA-registered literary organization, shall be informed in writing that their titles have been short-listed, and shall be required to submit an additional eight (8) copies of the books to the NBDB. Non-submission of the required copies will disqualify the title from consideration by the BOJ.

The chosen NCCA-registered literary organization shall submit to the NBDB a short list of the nominated titles, judging only the literary merits of the books without going into other aspects of the books, and without ranking them.

The literary organizations will be given thirty (30) days from receipt of the books to submit a short list of the titles to the NBDB. Should there be no short list given by the literary organization within the given period, all nominated books will be forwarded to the BOJ, unless otherwise disqualified.

Nominations and short listing of entries for each particular category are final, and no switching of nominated/short-listed books or finalists from one category to another shall be made for any reason at any point during the process.

The NBDB shall inform the BOJ no later than July 15, 2009 , that the books to be the subject of final judging are ready for pick up at the NBDB office.

Non-literary Titles

Non-Literary Awards are given to books that do not include nor are about creative writing, except that such creative writing techniques may be used occasionally to enhance the text.

1.1.  Art – a book that focuses on any of the art forms (including photography, film, and television), except literature.  A collection of essays on art by a single author or by several authors, provided the essays are not primarily literary or creative, is classified under this category. For purposes of the awards, photojournalism is considered an art form.

A nominated book offers fresh and original insights into the work/s of a visual, performing, electronic, or other type of artist/s. If the book is a collection of separate texts, each text must have the characteristic listed above. A book featuring mostly photographs of artworks may be nominated if the prose portion is substantial. 

A winning book is itself a work of art, blending design with content, style with the style of the artist/s discussed.  If two or more books are tied for the award, the one that offers a more comprehensive account of the body of work of an artist or artists is declared the winner.

1.4.  Professions - a book that focuses on law, medicine, accounting, engineering, or other professions requiring licensure examinations, and the application of these professions to daily life.

A nominated book is meant primarily for the general reading public and not for other professionals (such as lawyers, law students, doctors, medical students, engineers, and so on). It must offer accurate and useful advice based on existing laws, medical knowledge, or other professional practice. It must be well-written in terms of style, with a readability level as high or lower than that of educated non-professionals. If the book is a collection of separate texts, each text must have the characteristics listed above.

A winning book is a full-length text that does not falter in places but keeps a consistent tone. If two or more books are tied for the award, the one that focuses on lesser known aspects of the profession is declared the winner.

1.5.  Science – a book in the area of any of the natural or physical sciences.

A nominated book is meant primarily for the general reading public and not for scientists or science students. It must be well-written in terms of style, with a readability level as high or lower than that of educated adults without science degrees. If the book is a collection of separate texts, each text must have the characteristics listed above.

A winning book is a full-length text that does not falter in places but keeps a consistent tone.  If two or more books are tied for the award, the one that focuses on lesser known aspects of science is declared the winner.

1.6.  Social Sciences – a book in the area of any of the social sciences, including history, religious studies, and interdisciplinary studies.

A nominated book offers a fresh and original insight into its subject, in an expository style that displays correct and precise use of language, accuracy of data, extensiveness of research, and awareness of audience impact.  If the book is a collection of separate texts, each text must have the characteristics listed above.

A winning book is a full-length text that does not falter in places but keeps a consistent tone.  If two or more books are tied for the award, the one that focuses on less explored aspects of the social sciences is declared the winner.

1.7.  Leisure – a book about travel, tourism, sports, sports management, food, fashion and other such areas.

A nominated book offers a fresh and original insight into its subject, in an expository style that displays correct and precise use of language, accuracy of data, extensiveness of research, and awareness of audience impact.  If the book is a collection of separate texts, each text must have the characteristics listed above.  A book featuring mostly photographs may be nominated if the prose portion is substantial.

A winning book is a full-length text that does not falter in places but keeps a consistent tone.  If two or more books are tied for the award, the one that inspires more readers to take up sports or that offers newer or more information on sports matters is declared the winner.

Any NBDB-registered publisher, professional organization, or university department may nominate a title published in the previous year, by submitting a letter of nomination for the above categories. Publishers who nominate their titles must also submit two (2) initial copies of that title for consideration of the judges. The publisher must clearly state in the letter of nomination under which category he wants his title considered.

Non-literary titles nominated directly by an NBDB-registered publisher shall be submitted by the NBDB to a professional organization or a university department in the field the nominated title belongs to. Such professional organization or university department shall be approved by the Chair of the NBDB's Governing Board.

The professional organization or university department shall short list the titles bearing in mind the following:

This prescreening is limited only to judging the soundness of the contents of the book;

They are given thirty (30) days to evaluate the book from the time of receipt of the books; and

Upon passing the prescreening process, the title shall be passed on to the BOJ, for regular judging.

A title that has been rejected by the prescreening professional organization or university department shall no longer be submitted to the BOJ for judging. However, the BOJ will be notified in writing by the NBDB Secretariat that such a title was prescreened by a particular organization or university department, and did not pass the prescreening process.

If a short-listed title was nominated by an NBDB-registered publisher, the NBDB shall inform such publisher accordingly, and shall be required to submit an additional eight (8) copies to the NBDB for submission to the BOJ.

If a title was nominated by a professional organization or university department, the title shall no longer go through a prescreening process. However, the publisher of such title will be informed that its title has been nominated by a professional organization or university department, without naming the organization or department, and such publisher shall be required to submit seven (7) copies of that title for the BOJ: six (6) for the BOJ, and one extra copy for the NBDB library.

Professional organizations that submit titles for consideration must also submit a copy of their SEC registration to the NBDB.

Submissions by university departments must contain the signature of the head of the department, or an authorized department representative as designated by the dean of the college or the university president.

Only titles prescreened by a chosen professional organization or university department, when nominated by a publisher, or directly nominated by a professional organization or a university department may be considered by the BOJ.

Nominations and short listing of entries for each particular category are final, and no switching of nominated/short-listed books or finalists from one category to another shall be made for any reason at any point during the process.

Design

Design – the overall design of a book, including but not limited to the cover design, the choice of typefaces, the dimensions of the page, the lay-out, the type of paper, the binding, and the printing. 

1.1. The award for Best Design is not intended to be limited to coffee-table books; an inexpensive book without pictures or illustrations can be better designed than an expensive one with pictures or illustrations.

1.2. A nominated book combines all the elements of design into a coherent whole, supplementing but not supplanting the content of the book.

1.3 A winning book entices the reader to read the contents carefully while admiring the way the book looks.  If two or more books are tied for the award, the one that offers a more innovative way to use the elements of design is declared the winner.

All books considered as finalists, whether for the literary or non-literary divisions, are automatically included for consideration for the Best Design award.

All other applicable rules/criteria/processes indicated above shall be followed in selecting which book will win the Best Design award.

The Board of Judges

Every year, the Board of Judges (BOJ) of the National Book Awards shall be composed of:

Five (5) members of the Manila Critics Circle (MCC) to be designated by MCC; and

Two (2) judges nominated by the National Book Development Board (NBDB), one of the NBDB-nominated judges for each division shall be permanently on the BOJ.

There shall be the same members of the BOJ from the MCC for both the literary and non-literary divisions. The NBDB, however, reserves the right to nominate a different judge for each category within any division, depending on the expertise of the chosen judge keeping, however, one permanent judge for each division on the BOJ.

Books of members of the MCC and the NBDB's permanently-appointed judge are are disqualified from winning any award for any category in any division. Likewise, the books of the NBDB-nominated judge shall be disqualified for the category s/he is judging.

Each member of the BOJ is entitled to one (1) vote. A vote must be explained verbally during the voting process, taking into consideration factors that determine the quality of the title.

A title in all categories of both divisions must be voted upon unanimously by every member of the BOJ to win.

Meetings of the BOJ shall be held at the NBDB Conference Room or at any designated place agreed upon beforehand by the members of the BOJ.

Minutes of every meeting by the BOJ shall be taken by a member of the NBDB Secretariat, who shall keep the minutes in a confidential file within the premises of the NBDB.

The BOJ shall make a list of finalists numbering five (5) titles at most per category, from which the winners of each category are determined. A winner for each category must be determined by October 30, 2009 .

Submissions

Please address submissions to:

The Accreditation and Incentives Division

National Book Development Board

2/F National Printing Office Building

EDSA corner NIA Northside Road

Diliman, Quezon City 1100

• The deadline for submissions is at 1 pm of May 29, 2009 .
• The winner of each category, except Publisher of the Year, will receive a cash prize of Fifteen Thousand Pesos (P15,000.00), which will be awarded to the author or book designer, as the case may be, and not to the publisher. Citations do not win a cash prize.
• All decisions of the BOJ are final.