TWO writers from the Silliman University won major awards in the 2023 Nick Joaquin Literary Awards.

Ian Rosales Casocot of SU Edilberto and Edith Tiempo Creative Writing Center won the first prize for short story for his entry “Ceferina in Apt. 2G.”

Meanwhile, SU alumnus F. Jordan Carnice claimed the Poet of the Year award for his entry “Four Poems for the Future.”

Casocot and Carnice’s entries were chosen among 48 entries in each of their categories.

They received the awards in a ceremony held at the Winford Manila Resort and Casino last month.

Casocot and Carnice were fellows for the SU National Writers Workshop in 2000 for Fiction and 2008 for Poetry, respectively.

Casocot earned his Master of Arts in English from SU in 2012, while Carnice graduated with a degree in Creative Writing in 2007.

The NJLA is an annual awards organized by the Philippines Graphic magazine. It honors outstanding short fiction and poetry published in the magazine’s literary section.

The award is given every May 4 during the birthday of the late National Artist for Literature and former Philippines Graphic editor-in-chief Nick Joaquin.

Writers Jose “Butch” Dalisay and Susan Lara; and Philippines Graphic Reader editor Marra PL. Lanot led the board of judges composed of respected fictionists and poets of the Philippine literary community.