A THOMASIAN bagged the Poet of the Year award during the Nick Joaquin Literary Awards (NJLA) last Sept. 25 at Resorts World Manila.
Ramil Gulle, UST psychology alumnus, said being awarded the literary prize, named after the late National Artist for Literature Nick Joaquin, was a great honor for any Filipino writer.
“Nick Joaquin is arguably the best Filipino writer. To be honored through this award is really one of the top literary honors that a Filipino can get. It is also good that we have this, so we can continue encouraging new writers to strive for excellence,” Gulle said.
Gulle, managing editor at the New You magazine, stressed the importance of choosing the right words when writing.
“One thing that we need to improve on is what we call diction or the choice of words. Even you have the right grammar, if you have bad diction, it means you’re not choosing the right words or the most beautiful words,” he said.
Gulle, a former Varsitarian associate editor, encouraged young writers to continue developing their literary abilities through writing.
“The most important thing for young writers to do, ironically, is to keep writing. As Cirilo (Bautista) said, success in writing is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. Can you sustain yourself over the distance? If you only write for a year, you won’t reach your potential,” he said.
The Poet of the Year was selected by the Philippine Graphic’s literary editor Alma Anonas- Carpio together with a panel of judges.
NJLA, organized by the Philippines Graphic, recognizes outstanding short stories submitted to the magazine over the past publication year.
It is held in honor of Joaquin, the magazine’s former editor in chief, who received an associate in arts degree from UST.
