R. Joseph Dazo was born and raised in City of Talisay, Cebu. He writes short fiction in Binisaya and English. He finished his Master of Arts in Literature at Cebu Normal University in 2017. He was a fiction fellow of the 16th Iyas National Writers Workshop, play writing fellow of the 17th San Agustin Writers Workshop (wherein he was a finalist of the Dr. Leoncio P. Deriada Prize for Literature on Flash Fiction), and a fiction fellow of 2nd GlobalGrace-UP National LGBTQ Writers Workshop. He is the co-editor of Libulan Binisayang Antolohiya sa Katitikang Queer (Cratos, 2018). He is also the author of a collection of short fiction in Binisaya, Ubang Gabii sa Mango Avenue (Kasingkasing Press, 2019). He was hailed as the Labing Masaarong Bag-ong Magsusulat sa Bisaya in 2016. He is teaching literature and creative writing to senior high school students in the City of Naga, Cebu.
Thomas Leonard Shaw is a queer, liminal poet-critic who lives in perpetual transit from Siargao to Metro Manila. Once a Creative Writing student and Palanca Foundation scholar at the University of the Philippines Diliman, and a poetry fellow at the 1st Philippine National LGBTQ Writers? Workshop, the 1 st Cebu Young Writers Studio, and 26th Iligan National Writers’ Workshop, Thomas now majors in Comparative Literature, and studies what it means to be a writer and critic in this global age of cultural and artistic production. He was an awardee at the 2019 Amelia Lapeña Bonifacio Literary Awards and has been published by Voice and Verse Magazine. With a research interest in memory studies and the intersections between literature, history and imperial expansion, he hopes to one day teach literature and to help organize the first creative writing workshop in Siargao. His current project is an exploration of the dialectics between memory and history in the fiction of Angelica Gorodischer.
Si Abner Dormiendo ay nagtapos ng kursong Pilosopiya sa Ateneo de Manila University at kasalukuyang guro sa Filipino sa isang pribadong paaralan. Nagwagi na siya sa Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature at nailathala na ang ilan sa kaniyang mga akda sa Likhaan, High Chair, at Cha.
Si Dave Pregoner usa ka magtutudlo sa Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu. Siya migradwar sa Cebu Normal University diin siya giila isip Magbabalak ug Tigsugilon sa tuig 2016. Kasamtangan niyang gipadyon ang kursong Master of Arts in Literature sa parehong tunghaan. Nahimo siyang fellow sa 31st Cornelio Faigao Memorial Annual Writers Workshop,15th Iyas National Writers Workshop, ug 58th Silliman University National Writers Workshop. Usa siya sa mga mananaog sa 2018 Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature Cebuano category diin ang iyang sugilanong ‘Sunog’ nakasakmit sa ikaduhang ganti ug napatik sa Bisaya Magasin.
Si Jae Mari D. Magdadaro usa ka registered psychometrician ug nahimong writing fellow sa 17th Iyas National Writers Workshop (DLSU Bienvenido N. Santos Creative Writing Center), 2016 Tagik Landasan, 31st Cornelio Faigao Annual Memorial Writers Workshop (USC Cebuano Studies Center). Siya usa sa mga mitukod sa Hablon, usa ka hugpong sa mga magsusulat sa Cebu ug kanhing Vice President sa BATHALAD-Sugbo. Magtatampo sa unang bolyum sa ‘Libulan: Binisayang Antolohiya sa Katitikang Queer,’ ug ‘Inday-Inday.’ Siya maoy gipasidunggan isip Labing Masaarong Bag-ong Magsusulat sa 2018 sa Bisaya Magasin. Kasamtangang nagtungha sa M.Ed in Social Studies ug nagtrabaho sa UP Cebu diin siya migradwar sa high school ug undergrad.
Jessrel Escaran Gilbuena hails from Santa Fe, Bantayan Island, Cebu. He is teaching in a public senior high school in Bantayan Island. His works appeared in Cha: An Asian Literary Journal, BANWA of the University of Philippines-Mindanao, Sunstar Weekend, Freeman Weekend, and Bisaya Magazine of Manila Bulletin, to name a few. In 2017, his first book of poems, Lugas sa Balas, was published by BATHALAD Sugbo Inc.. He was a fellow of the Iligan National Writing Workshop in MSU-Iligan (wherein he was awarded the Jimmy Y. Balacuit Literary Award for Poetry), Ateneo Writers Workshop in Ateneo de Manila University-Manila, and the IYAS National Writers Workshop by the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod. He is one of the awardees of the 2019 Indonesian Arts and Culture scholarship He is an islander who loves to see more islands. He travels, and places with beaches are his favorite.
Si John Dante kasamtangang nagpuyo sa Consolacion, Cebu. Naapil siya isip fellow sa Cebu Young Writers’ Studio, Kagis Creative Writers’ Workshop, ug ang Cornelio Faigao Memorial Annual Playwright’s Workshop in Drama and Performance. Namantala na ang pipila sa iyang mga sugilanon sa Bisaya Magasin. Nasaka na sa entablado ang iyang lokal nga dula pag miaging Pebrero 2019 atol sa Panagtipon 2019: A Festival of Cebuano Theatre.
Ria Valdez writes poetry and creative nonfiction. She was a fellow to the Siliman University National Writers’ Workshop 2019, the UST National Writers’ Workshop 2018, and the Davao Writers’ Workshop 2014. Currently a member of the Davao Writers Guild, she teaches Creative Writing and Creative Nonfiction in Davao City National High School. Her poems and essays are published in Dagmay Online Literary Journal, Marias at Sampaguitas and Press:100 Love Letters (UP Press, 2017).
Rome Nicolas is a technophile and an arts and culture advocate from Carcar City, Cebu. He also writes short stories and essays in Binisaya. A contributor for Manila Bulletin’s Bisaya Magasin, he was an awardee of Labing Masaarong Bag-ong Magsusulat sa Bisaya in 2010. He was a writing fellow at the following workshops: the 11th Iyas National Writers Workshop (De La Salle University-Bienvenido N Santos Creative Writing Center), 27th Faigao Memorial Writing Workshop (University of San Carlos? Cebuano Studies Center), and 3rd Mugna Creative Writing Workshop (University of the Philippines Cebu). He was the founder of UP Cebu’s Creative Writing Organization TINTA and co-organizer of KAGIS Bisaya. He used to spearhead the now-defunct Balakista, and is currently the Chief Content Editor of Basta Bisaya.
Sigrid Marianne Gayangos was born and raised in Zamboanga City. Her literary works have appeared or are forthcoming in Mindanao Odysseys: A Collection of Travel Essays, Fantasy: Fiction for Young Adults, Maximum Volume: Best New Philippine Fiction 3, Philippine Speculative Fiction 12, Philippines Graphic, Cha: An Asian Literary Journal and The Best Small Fictions 2019, among other places. In 2018, she won the Carlos Palanca Award for her poetry collection for children entitled “Of Monsters, Math and Magic.” Currently based in Quezon City, she divides her time between training a bunch of mathletes and finishing her first collection of short stories.
Usa ka magtutudlo si Wilfreda Cabusas. Kasamtangang nagtungha siya sa Cebu Normal University sa kursong Master of Arts in Education major in English Language Teaching. Nahimo siyang fellow sa balak sa 13 th Lamiraw Creative Writing Workshop, Bathalad-Sugbo?s 1 st Kagis Creative Writers Workshop, ug 57 th Silliman University National Writers Workshop. Sa tuig 2017, gipasidunggan siya sa Bisaya Magazine isip Labing Masaarong Bag-ong Magsusulat; ug sa Bathalad-Sugbo isip Masaarong Batan-on nga Magsusulat. Nahimo pod siyang usa sa mga kontribyutor sa unang bolyum sa Libulan: Binisayang Antolohiya sa Katitikang Queer. Miyembro pod siya sa Hablon nga usa ka hugpong sa mga batan-ong magsusulat sa Cebu.