Dear Filipino Poets Worldwide:

You are invited to submit to a fun poetry contest. No submission fees. E-mail submissions. Details below:

SEVENTH ANNUAL HOLIDAY POETRY CONTEST
Sponsor: Meritage Press
Judge: Eric Gamalinda
Deadline: December 31, 2007

ABOUT THE JUDGE:
Eric Gamalinda’s publications include Amigo Warfare [Cherry Grove Collections], Zero Gravity [Alice James Books], Lyrics from a Dead Language [Anvil, Manila], poems; My Sad Republic [University of the Philippines Press], Empire of Memory, Confessions of a Volcano [ both Anvil Publishers, Manila], Planet Waves [New Day, Manila], novels; Peripheral Vision [New Day], short stories; Flippin’: Filipinos on America, anthology [Asian American Writers Workshop, co-edited with Luis Francia]. His awards include the Cultural Center of the Philippines Independent Film and Video Awards [2004], the Asian American Literary Award for Zero Gravity [poems, 2000], the New York Foundation for the Arts [fiction, 1998], the Philippine Centennial Literary Prize for My Sad Republic [novel, 1998], the National Book Award, Manila, for Planet Waves [novel, 1990], and a number of Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for fiction, poetry, essay and playwriting in the Philippines. He is working on a new collection of poems to be entitled Relic Light. More information about him and his works are available at his website: http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeslrlq/gamalinda/index.html

ABOUT THE CONTEST:
All poets are encouraged to submit by e-mailing 1 or 2 poems to MeritagePress@aol.com. (Send no more than 2 poems). Please present poems within the body of the email as we do not open attachments.) Please include your full name along with your e-mail address. However, the poems will be sent without your names to judge Eric Gamalinda, thereby allowing the poems to be read on their own merit. All poets are welcome to submit — it doesn’t matter whether you’re established or emerging as the work is read on its own merit.

There are no limitations to poetry styles or content. All types of poems are welcome. We are now taking submissions up to the deadline of December 31, 2007.

Only previously unpublished poems are eligible (you may, however, submit poems that you have featured on your own web sites or or blogs, or that have been published in limited edition chapbooks of no more than 250 copies).

PRIZES:
Meritage Press has asked Eric Gamalinda to choose one winner. However, Eric may choose other finalist-winners, depending on the quality of the submissions. The winner(s) will have their poems published in the February 2008 edition of “Babaylan Speaks” at http://meritagepress.com/babaylan/

The FIRST PLACE WINNER also will receive SELECTED FILIPINO TITLES:

AMIGO WARFARE by Eric Gamalinda; for more information about the book, go to http://www.cherry-grove.com/gamalinda.html (Patrick Rosal and Eileen Tabios discuss Eric’s amazing book, AMIGO WARFARE, at http://galatearesurrection8.blogspot.com/2007/11/two-books-by-eric-gamalinda_30.html and http://galatearesurrection8.blogspot.com/2007/11/two-books-by-eric-gamalinda.html

PRAU by Jean Vengua; for more information about the book, go to http://meritagepress.com/prau.htm

MUSEUM OF ABSENCES by Luis H. Francia; for more information about the book, go to http://meritagepress.com/museum.htm

KALI’S BLADE by Michelle Bautista; for more information about the book, go to http://meritagepress.com/kalis.htm

THE FIRST HAY(NA)KU ANTHOLOGY, co-edited by Jean Vengua and Mark Young; for more information about the book, go to http://www.meritagepress.com/haynaku.htm

PINOY POETICS; A Collection of Autobiographical and Critical Essays on Filipino and Filipino American Poetics, edited by Nick Carbo; for more information about the book, go to http://meritagepress.com/pinoypoetics.htm

THE LIGHT SANG AS IT LEFT YOUR EYES by Eileen Tabios; for more information about the book, go to http://marshhawkpress.org/tabios3.htm

I TAKE THEE, ENGLISH, FOR MY BELOVED by Eileen Tabios; for more information about the book, go to http://marshhawkpress.org/tabios2.htm

MENAGE A TROIS WITH THE 21st CENTURY by Eileen Tabios; for more information about the book, go to http://www.ourownvoice.com/books/2004xpress.shtml

BRIDGEABLE SHORES by Luis Cabalquinto; for more information about the book, go to http://www.artbook.com/1885030347.html

AND SELECTED MERITAGE PRESS POETRY TITLES:
COMPLICATIONS by Garrett Caples; for more information about the book, go to http://meritagepress.com/complications.htm

THE OBEDIENT DOOR by Sean Tumoana Finney; for more information about the book, go to http://meritagepress.com/obedientdoor.htm

OPERA: Poems 1981-2002 by Barry Schwabsky; for more information about the book, go to http://www.meritagepress.com/opera.htm

100 MORE JOKES FROM THE BOOK OF THE DEAD by John Yau and Archie Rand; for more information about the book, go to http://meritagepress.com/100morejokes.htm

FINALISTS:
Other finalist-winners besides the winner, if any, will receive two of the above-listed books (the choice of books are up to Meritage Press).

PREVIOUS WINNERS:
2006: Joel M. Toledo (Judge: Michelle Bautista)
2005: Arkaye Velasquez Kierulf (Judge: Jean Vengua)
2004: Joel H. Vega (Judge: Sarah Gambito)
2003: Luisa A. Igloria (Judge: Patrick Rosal)
2002: Naya S. Valdellon & Michella Rivera-Gravage (Judge: Oliver de la Paz)
2001: Carlomar Arcangel Daoana (Judge: Nick Carbo)

For questions or more information, you can email MeritagePress@aol.com