The 2019 Palanca Awards is now open for entries

MANILA, Philippines – The country’s longest-running and arguably most prestigious literary award is now accepting entries.

The Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature announced its call for entries on Tuesday, April 16. They are now open for submissions to its regular categories in the English, Filipino, and Regional Languages divisions, as well as its Kabataan Division.

The categories are:

• Novel and Nobela
• English Division: Short Story, Short Story for Children, Essay, Poetry, Poetry Written for Children, One-act Play, and Full-length Play
• Filipino Division: Maikling Kuwento, Maikling Kuwentong Pambata, Sanaysay, Tula, Tulang Para sa Mga Bata, Dulang May Isang Yugto, Dulang Ganap ang Haba, and Dulang Pampelikula
• Regional Languages Division: Short Story-Cebuano, Short Story-Hiligaynon, and Short-Story Ilokano

The Kabataan (youth) Division, open for writers below 18 years old, is also accepting entries in two categories: English and Filipino.

Submissions must be informal or personal essays that answer the question “At a time when spreading of misinformation is gettting common, what can you do to help people, especially the youth, search for the truth?” (Kabataan Essay), or “Sa panahon na laganap ang pagkalat ng maling impormasyon, paano mo matutulungan ang mga tao, lalo na ang kabataan, na hanapin ang katotohanan?” (Kabataan Sanaysay).

Filipino citizens or former Filipino citizens of all ages may submit their entries, except for current directors, officers, and employees of the Carlos Palanca Foundation. Those who want to join can submit one entry per category.

The deadline for submission of entries is on May 31.

The works to be submitted must not have been awarded a prize in another contest before 12 midnight of May 31. Unpublished or unproduced works, as well as works which were first published or produced between June 1, 2018 and May 31 are eligible for submission.

For Novel/Nobela entries, unpublished works, as well as works which were first published within a period of two years prior to May 31 are eligible for submission. Only unproduced works can be submitted to the Dulang Pampelikula category.

Interested writers may send printed copies of their entries to the Carlos Palanca Foundation office. The foundation will not accept online or email submissions for any category.

For official contest rules and forms, visit the foundation’s office at ground floor, Greenbelt Excelsior Building, 105 C. Palanca street, Legaspi Village, Makati. For more information, call the Carlos Palanca office at (632) 843-8277, or email cpmawards@gmail.com – Rappler.com