Summer Writing Camp at SOX

GenSan to host SOX Summer Writing Camp

SOX Writers, in partnership with the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), will be conducting a SOX Summer Writing Camp this coming April 29 to May 2, 2019 in General Santos City. 

The event aims to contribute to the growing literary scene in Region 12 (SOCCSKSARGEN or SOX). It also aspires to develop and promote the writing talents of young writers in the region, encouraging them to produce literary works that represent and highlight the diversity and richness of the cultures in SOX. 

“The camp will provide a big opportunity for young writers in our region to hone and improve their craft,” says Camp Director Kurt Comendador. “It will bring them more exposure to experienced writers who will serve as their mentors in this four-day activity. It will give them a taste of what it’s like to live a writer’s life and experience dwelling in a community that shares the same passion as them. It is a rare vibrant event for us who live in the region, which is only beginning to appreciate local literature.”

During the camp, there will be a plenary lecture: Introduction to Writing and Literature; specialized lectures on Poetry, Essays, and Fiction; as well as a zine-making activity and zine fest. High school, senior high, and college students from different parts of the region will undergo general and specialized creative writing workshops and are expected to write creative works and publish them in zines.

For the past few years, there have been several literary events to help grow the literary scene in the region. Still, it is undeniable that access to bigger writing opportunities remain outside the region. The SOX Summer Writing Camp not only aims to develop the creative writing skills of young writers but also aimsto encourage institutional support from concerned agencies and writing communities in the Philippines. 

“We hope this inaugural event will be successful and open numerous opportunities for writers in the SOX region. We hope that this will garner the support of our local institutions towards literary efforts in the region and give SOX literature a chance to prosper,” Comendador says.