GENERAL SANTOS, November 30 – Writers from Mindanao State University-General Santos (MSU-GSC) demonstrated their writing prowess at the 7th SOCCSKSARGEN (SOX) Zine Festival held at The New Brighton School of the Philippines, Inc. (NBSPI), contributing 16 titles to the festival’s collection of 80 zines.
Composed of a member from MSU-GSC’s Writer’s Guild, Maratabat, and second year students from the Bachelor of Art in Literary and Cultural Studies (BALCS) program, the writers showcased their individual works and connected with other writers at the event.
© NBSPI Publication
The annual SOX Zine Festival is a gathering of creators, readers, and supporters of zines which also serves as a platform for emerging writers, readers, and publishers in the region.
Hosted by the Sarangani Writers League (SWL), Aklat Alamid, and NBSPI, the festival featured a literary and publishing talk session, spoken word performances, games, and special recognition for outstanding writers from the region.According to MJ Cagumbay Tumamac, administrative head of Aklat Alamid, a zine is a low-cost alternative type of publication where the creator is also the writer and publisher, and is typically not for mass distribution.
“Dugay man gud ang process pag magbuhat og books, tapos mahal siya. Usahay pud, ma-alienate ka sa sarili nimong works kapag ginapasa sa mga publisher,” he said.
MJ emphasized that zines allow an individual to have the creative freedom over their work, which is llacking in published works which often entail many revisions.
Jhomarie Maglangit Sevilla, president of Maratabat, said that he considers the festival a a memorable experience since zines have helped shape the literary landscape in SOX.
“Creating and writing zines is our is a way of promoting local literature to the public,” he shared.
Various literary organizations and indie publishers also took part in the event such as the Cotabato Literary Circle, The SOX Writers Collective, Timog Literary Circle, Sigaw Heneral, Words by the South, Sinyas, Payag Panulatan, Alitaptap Bookshop, and Tridax Zines.
The festival is held every end of November, in celebration of National Reading Month in the Philippines.
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