Filipino poet receives South East Asia 2011 Writers Award
Posted on March 10th, 2012 under Art & Living Achievements
Romulo Baquiran Jr.
Filipino poet Romulo Baquiran Jr. received the Southeast Asian Writers (SEA Write) Award for 2011 in a ceremony held in Bangkok, Thailand last month.
Baquiran was honored along with seven other writers from Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
The award was given by Thai Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana on behalf of her father, the Crown Prince.
“The awardees were selected by their own peers in each of the ten ASEAN countries. The Philippine awardee was chosen by the Writers Union of the Philippines headed by National Artist for Literature Virgilio Almario as chairman emeritus,” DFA said in a statement.
He now joins a list of distinguished Filipino writers who have received the award, among them Nick Joaquin, Edilberto Tiempo, Virginia Moreno, Ricaredo Demetillo, Bienvenido Santos, Virgilio Almario, Carmen Guerrero-Nakpil, Dr. Isagani Cruz, Dr. Alejandro Roces and Felice Prudente Sta. Maria.
An assistant professor at the University of the Philippines’ College of Arts and Letters, Baquiran has published two collections of poetry — “Mga Tula ng Paglusong” (Journey Poems) and “Onyx” — and a collection of personal essays titled “Sagad sa Buto” (Felt to the Bones).
His 2010 Palanca award-winning poetry collection, “Parokya” (Village), is set to be published by the UP Press.
The SEA Write Awards was organized in 1979 in a bid to recognize poets and writers in Southeast Asia.