CEBUANO literature is growing because of its linguistic diversity that nurtures newcomers, a Cebuano poet and short story writer said.
Speaking before the virtual “USTingan” forum of the UST Center for Creative Writing and Literary Studies (CCWLS) on Nov. 16, Hope Sabanpan-Yu said the growth of Cebuano literature did not only come from the “diverse and powerful voices increasingly writing in the Cebuano canon,” but also from the writers “rooted even outside the Philippines” through the help of their mother tongue.
“Cebuano writing is truly and inherently made out of linguistic diversity as writers in Cebuano and English will demonstrate through their important works,” she said in the online forum.
Included in her list of recommended Cebuano writers is UST alumna Erma M. Cuizon, whose body of work includes stories centered on women and women’s studies.
“I love this idea in the literary lighthouse because of the joy it gives, and it nurtures newcomers and experts alike by continuously bringing them together and encouraging the growth of Cebuano poetry,” Yu said.
USTingan is a semestral roundtable discussion of the CCWLS that tackles Philippine literature and popular culture.
Hope Sabanpan-Yu’s discussion on Cebuano literature is part of this year’s series on Philippine contemporary regional writing. The forum was streamed on the CCWLS Facebook page. with reports from Caitlin Dayne A. Contreras
