Fantasy writer wins 37th Romeo Forbes Children's Story Writing Competition

The Center for Art, New Ventures, and Sustainable Development awards the prize for its 37th Romeo Forbes Children's Story Writing Competition to Where are my Legs? written by Leonard John Banaag, who shall be receiving the cash prize of forty-five thousand pesos for his story. Almost 190 entries, all based on the artwork by Nat Lamina, were received for this competition.

Banaag draws from a life filled with stories passed down through generations. He owes his love for storytelling to his family, particularly his mother, who planted in him a passion for reading from a tender age. No stranger to the world of myth and fantasy, he wrote Taleweaver for DC WildStorm and penned Where Eagles Fly for Neil Gaiman’s 1st Philippine Graphic Fiction Awards.

With Where Are My Legs?, Banaag takes young readers on a journey with Elena, a curious and friendly manananggal who embarks on a quest to find her missing legs. Rooted in personal experiences of loss and rediscovery, this tale not only entertains but also teaches valuable lessons of perseverance and self-discovery. The winner of the 37th Romeo Forbes Competition hopes that this story will allow readers to explore the wonders of imagination and the joy of storytelling.

CANVAS also congratulates Edgar C. Samar for the story Ang Batang Nahahati sa Tatlo and Jayson Barona for the story Manang Angal, Ang Katipunerang Manananggal which were selected as finalists for this run.

CANVAS holds the Romeo Forbes Children's Story Writing Competition at least twice a year, open to Filipinos worldwide. The first and only of its kind, it invites writers to pen a children’s story inspired by a painting or sculpture by CANVAS’ chosen local Filipino artist.

That same artist will then bring the winning story to life through a series of around 20 new artworks. These are finally showcased in a major solo exhibition and used as illustrations for the ultimate offspring of this unique collaboration: a full-color children’s book which could reach public schools and communities in the Philippines under CANVAS’ One Million Books for One Million Filipino Children