AILAP: A safe space for literary writers

Housed under the School of Humanities, the Ateneo Institute of Literary Arts and Practices (AILAP) focuses on continuing education in creative writing and other literary practices such as research, criticisms, and translations. AILAP organizes training, workshops, and public lectures for aspiring writers to advance these goals.

According to Dr Allan Derain, the institute's director, AILAP public lectures- featuring speakers from around the world- can be viewed on the institute's Facebook page. AILAP, he added, has also reached out to Ateneo Press for the possibility of publishing the works of AILAP fellows. 

Aside from these initiatives, AILAP takes pride in its flagship program- the Ateneo National Writers' Workshop (ANWW). In its 19th year, the fellowship is given to young Filipino writers who wish to improve their writing skills. ANWW aims to provide space and time to aspiring artists, mentoring them through intensive five-week training. Through ANWW, Derain noted that written articles receive the necessary attention and feedback, enabling writers the room to grow and improve their craft.

Christian Benitez added that anyone is eligible to join the workshop. Moreover, they encourage participants who have different day jobs to join ANWW since the workshop provides a conducive environment to unleash their creative juices and engage with other aspiring writers and experts. 

Structure-wise, Derain said they want to introduce a more inclusive workshop for this cohort by departing from its usual submission of works in standard classification: English or Filipino, fiction, poetry, or play. This 'revolutionist perspective,' Derain added, encourages participants to write the way they want and are comfortable writing. In doing so, AILAP hopes to discover novel ways of writing literature. 

At the height of the pandemic, ANWW saw a dip in its participants. Pre-COVID 19, ANWWs were held in different locations, encouraging participants to interact with others and spark their creativity. However, with lockdown and quarantine in place, ANWW fellows were confined to nurturing their writing in an online environment. 

As pandemic-related restrictions continue to drop, Derain and Benitez are hopeful that ANWW will be able to resume its in-person workshop, providing a safe space for writers to improve their skills and flourish.

AILAP will announce the new cohort of the 19th ANWW fellows in May 2022. The workshop will be held in June 2022. Follow AILAP on Facebook and Twitter.