A CREATIVE WRITING instructor launched her debut collection of beast fables at the Splendido Tagaytay Hotel Clubhouse on June 22.
Titled “Pag-alagwa sa Hawla: Pagkatha ng Makabagong Kuwentong Hayop,” the monograph condenses the 10 stories from her master’s thesis in creative writing into three while preserving the poetics and literary tradition of the original collection.
“Tungkol siya sa mga hayop, p’wede rin tawagin na parang mga modernong pabula. Kasi ano ba ‘yong definition natin ng fable kung hindi isang katha, isang story ‘yan na mayro’ng mga karakter o mga tauhan na hindi naman tao,” she said in an interview with the Varsitarian.
(It is about animals and may also be described as a collection of modern fables. After all, what is a fable if not a fictional story whose characters are not human?)
Abuda, a resident fellow of the UST Center for Creative Writing and Literary Studies (CCWLS), said beast fables have long served as a medium for reflecting on human experiences and society.
Citing “The Monkey and the Turtle” as an example, she said the story uses animal characters to convey the values of diligence and hard work.
“Gumagamit tayo ng mga hayop as metaphors, as imagery, bilang daluyan ng isang highly human experience o danas tao,” Abuda added.
(We use animals as metaphors and imagery to convey deeply human experiences.)
Abuda said her collection seeks to move beyond that tradition by portraying animals not merely as allegories or symbols of human life but as characters with agency and interiority.
To encourage readers to rethink conventional depictions of animals, the collection seeks to “liberate” them by giving them agency and interiority.
“Magsulat tayo ng mga kuwento na tungkol sa hayop at talagang give justice to the experience of animals,” Abuda said.
(Let us write stories about animals and truly give justice to their experiences.)
The book launch coincided with the third UST National Writing Fellowship.
The collection was released as the first issue of the fifth volume of Tomás, the official literary journal of the UST CCWLS.
“Pag-alagwa sa Hawla: Pagkatha ng Makabagong Kuwentong Hayop” is available on the official Tomás website. John Kobe S. Balod
