Women Writing announces “LOVE, SEX & WOMEN: Writing About Romance,” a whole-day writing adventure for women writers on April 20, 2024
Romance is in the air! Women Writing invites female writers to an all-day event of inspirational talks and writing activities focused on love and romance. Titled “LOVE, SEX & WOMEN: Writing About Romance,” the event will be held from 9 a.m. through 6 p.m. on Saturday, Apr. 20, 2024, at The Roof Deck, Sunshine Place Senior Recreation Center, 56 Jupiter Street, Brgy. Bel Air, Makati City.
This unique adventure brings together esteemed speakers who will share their insights on love, sex, women’s experiences, and the craft of writing and publishing romance novels.
Learn from industry experts, such as bestselling romance novelist Mina Esguerra, publishing specialist Karina Bolasco, and popular writer-teacher Rica Bolipata-Santos. A conversation with sex therapist Dr. Rica Cruz and memoirist Lissa de Guia will explore how female sexuality and storytelling intertwine.
Published authors Agay Llanera, Mae Coiyuto, and Mina Esguerra will share insights about writing compelling adult and YA stories that celebrate love and female sexuality. They will discuss their experiences thriving in a community of romance writers and about publishing their work in the Philippines and abroad.
Writer and teacher Rica Bolipata Santos’s craft talk will provide practical guidance and inspiration to those who are already writing romance or are just exploring the possibility of doing so. Participants will also be given exercises to hone their skills in writing about intimacy and delicate topics.
“LOVE, SEX & WOMEN: Writing About Romance” is open to women writers of all skill levels. We aim to foster a supportive and collaborative environment where like-minded participants can learn from each other’s experiences and build lasting connections within the writing community.
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The event
Date: April 20, 2024
Time: 9:00 A.M.–6:00 P.M.
Location: The Roof Deck, Sunshine Place Senior Recreation Center, 56 Jupiter Street, Brgy. Bel Air, Makati City
Register for this event at https://bit.ly/WW2024Apr. “Love, Sex &Women: Writing About Romance” is open to a maximum of 30 participants. We encourage early bird registration. First come, first served. For more information about the event, please contact Melissa Salva Ramos at [email protected].
About the organizers
Women Writing is a community dedicated to empowering Filipina women through the joy of writing. Founded in 2022 by publisher-author Reni Roxas and author Carla Pacis, WW offers opportunities to adult women of all writing skills through its classes, workshops, and writerly events.
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About our guest speakers
For over forty years, Karina Bolasco’s commitment to promoting diverse voices has earned her numerous awards during her tenure in Anvil Publishing and the Ateneo de Manila University Press. Under her leadership, Anvil and Ateneo Press won the Publisher of the Year award numerous times and the National Book Awards for almost 300 of their titles. Karina helped found Anvil Publishing House in 1990, which she developed and grew into the biggest and leading press of that time, releasing books of all genres by and for Filipinos. In 2016 she shifted to academic and scholarly publishing at the Ateneo de Manila University Press. Upon her retirement from book publishing in 2023, the Manila Critics Circle gave her a Lifetime Achievement Award. Her impact on the publishing industry endures even in retirement, as she leads the preparations for the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2025, where the Philippines is the guest of honor.
Popular romance novelist Mina Esguerra has written close to thirty books. Her engaging storytelling and relatable characters have earned her Filipino Readers’ Choice awards as well as a loyal following. In 2013, she founded #RomanceClass, a community of Filipino authors of romance in English, and it has since helped over 100 authors write and publish romance books. She is also a media adaptation agent, working with LA-based Bold MP to develop romance media by Filipino creatives for an international audience. Visit minavesguerra.com for more information about her books and projects.
Writer and publisher Rica Bolipata-Santos’s personal essays about love, family, marriage, and difficult issues are well-loved for their candor and honesty. Her approach to writing about delicate topics will help writers tackle various aspects of romance writing. She has an AB in Humanities and an MA in English Literature, both from Ateneo de Manila University, where she taught for thirty years. She completed her PhD in English (Creative Writing) at the University of the Philippines. Rica has written three acclaimed collections of creative nonfiction. Her first book, “Love, Desire, Children, Etc.” (Milflores Publishing) won the prestigious Madrigal Gonzales First Book Award in 2005. Her third collection, “Navel” (UST Press), was a finalist for Best Book in Nonfiction at the National Book Awards in 2017.
Dr. Rica Cruz is a sex and relationships therapist, educator, and broadcaster. She is also the CEO and Founder of Unprude, the first sex therapy app in Asia. She is the first and only Filipino to be given the title of Board Certified Diplomate in Clinical Sexology by the American Board of Sexology, and the first from the Philippines to be part of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Sex Research. Dr. Rica is a constant voice in Filipino sexuality and pleasure. The TV shows, podcasts, and social media programs she hosts aim to normalize Filipinos’ conversations around sex. Her goal is to guide them toward understanding and embracing their sexual selves, so that every Filipino can fully experience and enjoy sex on their own terms.
Lissa Romero De Guia is a musical theater performer, writer, visual artist, and intuitive healer. In her book “People I Have Been” she writes with introspection and honesty about the personal experiences that have shaped her into who she is now.
Agay Llanera is a freelance writer for TV and the web. She is the author of three new adult romance books and the YA romance book, “Choco Chip Hips.” She is part of #romanceclass, a community of Filipino authors and readers of contemporary romance.
Mae Coyiuto earned her MFA in Writing for Young Adults/Children from The New School. Her YA romance book “Chloe and the Kaishao Boys” (Penguin Random House) made it to the list of New York Public Library Best Books of the Year in 2023.
