National Committee on Language and Translation announces Rolando S. Tinio Translator’s Prize winners 2024

Ariel S. Tabag, of Bannawag Magazine, receives the prize award in the novel category

BY ANGELA JAVATE

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), led by the National Committee on Language and Translation (NCLT), announced the winners of the Rolando S. Tinio Translator’s Prize on April 2, 2024.

This award aims to give greater prominence to the translation of texts and works written in various languages in the Philippines into the national language. 

The two awardees are Ariel S. Tabag in the novel category and Manu Avenido in the poetry category.

Notably, Ariel is one of the editors of Bannawag Magazine, which is one of the nine magazines published by the Manila Bulletin. He also founded and oversees the Sanita Literary Awards and serves as the President of GUMIL Filipinas, the association of Ilocano writers in the Philippines and overseas.

Ariel is the author of "Karapote" (a collection of Ilokano stories, 2011), "Ay, Ni Reberen!" (an Ilokano novel, 2013), "Voice Tape and Other Selected Stories" (a collection of selected Ilokano stories, 2022), and "Manen, Adda Umuna" (a collection of Ilokano poems, 2023).

Meanwhile, Manu Avenido is a multilingual fictionist, poet, and playwright from Bohol. He has won the Palanca Award four times for his short stories in Cebuano. He has also been honored in competitions such as the Lumbera Awards, BATHALAD-Mindanao, Sinulog Awards for Literature (SINULAT), Balacuit, Kinalitkalit Flash Fiction Writing Contest, among others. Additionally, he has been a fellow in regional and national workshops including Faigao, lyas, ligan, and Lamiraw.

Most of Manu's short stories have been published in Bisaya Magasin and other anthologies. His debut collection of award-winning short stories, titled "Ikigai Ug Ubang Piniling Mga Sugilanon" (Advaux, 2023), with an English translation by Dr. Marjorie Evasco, received a Publication Grant in 2023 from the National Book Development Board.

New chat fiction app lets writers earn money

Enjoy reading, tapping, writing, and earning with ‘TypeKita’

BY ANGELA JAVATE

Aug 29, 2023 04:21 PM

  

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It is evident that Filipinos, naturally love to write and read. They value literature as a special way to express and connect, with different reading platforms available online that are growing.

Kumu, in collaboration with Thai publisher Okbee, has officially launched TypeKita, a chat-serye app.

A localized version of the popular chat story app Joylada, TypeKita, the app aims to empower Pinoy writers by rewarding their creativity and allowing them to earn money. It also provides writers the opportunity to earn from their creative work while offering readers a unique story. 

This app champions chat fiction, which showcases a modern form of storytelling like an online conversation between two people; it's easier to use for younger writers and readers.

Ysabel Yuzon, Kumu multi-app head of growth

“While it encourages beginners, young writers, it’s also an opportunity for the professional and established writers to help shape the community and to pass on their knowledge and recommendations to support the younger authors that we have today,” said Head of Growth Ysabel Yuzon.

The app highlights two innovations: “type” (the process of writing), a chat editor that makes creating stories easier for writers, and an immersive reading experience that allows readers to be part of the conversation. “Kita” (earning or profit) has the makings of the ultimate side hustle for writers of all kind, as seen in their monetization feature for creators. Readers can show their support by gifting virtual gifts, unlocking bonus chapters with coins, and earning money through tap pool.

Prior to its launch, TypeKita experienced consistent user growth, with romance, especially boys’ love and girls’ love, emerging as the top-preferred genres. Others include coming-of-age, mystery, and fantasy. Similar to Kumu, TypeKita restricts its 18+ contents; it is intended for high school and college audiences, aiming to provide a safe space for a younger audience. 

When asked about the new experiences that TypeKita offers to online readers, Yuzon emphasized that the chat fiction format of the app gives the impression of eavesdropping on conversations between other people. “This genre resembles social media screenshots,” she said. “And we called it ‘taps,’ where users are required to tap their screens to unlock the subsequent messages, creating an interactive experience.”

To support local authors, Yuzon also shared that a campaign was executed for “Buwan ng Wika” to encourage even more regional content and for writers to compose in their own dialects, celebrating where they are from.

TypeKita is available via App Store and Google Play.