Where To, Young Writer?

'As long as there's an educational crisis and a government that is inhumane to the merits of the humanities, there will be little to no true opportunity for writing that is freeing.'

- By Lé Balatar

National Literature Month just drew to a close, but now's as good a time as any to reflect on stubborn questions that might offer the literary community some illumination in the long run: What future awaits our young writers? Are old formulas, like workshops, still working? How do we foster a writing environment where critical thinking thrives?

For author and educator Laurence Marvin Castillo, there is a flush of possibilities for literary practice in the Philippines now. "In addition to the more traditional venues for publications such as academic and commercial presses, we've seen alternative spaces for literary production and circulation carved by indie initiatives that flourish within and beyond the metropolitan centers," he told Young STAR.

Castillo, an associate professor teaching literature at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, said that the flourishing of independent publishing and small presses "means that literary practice is no longer tethered to institutional gatekeeping."

"This also embodies more opportunities for the amplification of literary voices that have been traditionally sidestepped by mainstream creative practices."

Trist'n Buenaflor, activist and founding chairperson of the queer writing collective Kinaiya, recognized the efforts to democratize literary practice in the country, citing the likes of local independent feminist publishing Gantala Press and the Cavite Young Writers Association.

But he also noted a caveat, as practice does not necessarily translate to livelihood. "There is little opportunity to make a living from writing alone," the UP Baguio alumnus told Young STAR, lamenting the institutional focus on relentless writing tilts in lieu of inclusive programs for writers, acclaimed or otherwise.