Mañelon I Mantitige’ Writing Fellowship

The University of Guam Press hosted the Mañe'lon i Mantitige' Writers Fellowship with support from a grant from the Guam Economic Development Authority. The goal of the fellowship was to foster a community of local writers interested in publishing.

Writing Workshop

Mañe'lon i Mantitige' activities supported writers throughout their writing process and included:

1. Peer-review writing workshops
2. Presentations by published authors
3. Development of editing and revision courses
4. An intensive writing and revision retreat
5. Our peer-review writing workshop groups continue to meet twice a month to share drafts of their work with their peers, who return the work with written and oral feedback. Every quarter, UOG Press hosts an online virtual reading event where members of the writing workshop groups share their pieces and engage with other fellows.

 

Presentations by Published Authors

Every quarter, UOG Press hosts a variety of craft workshops and presentations led by published and well-known authors. These workshops are open to both the mañelu in the fellowship and the general public. Past workshops include: Q&A Discussion with Award-Winning Poet & Independent Rapper, Meta Sarmiento and a “Healing through Writing” workshop with award-winning CHamoru Legends: A Gathering of Stories author Teresita L. Perez.

Intensive Writing and Revision Retreat

The Mañe'lon i Mantitige’ Writing Retreat was antensive four-day retreat for writers to spend time crafting and revising a book manuscript they intend to publish. The primary focus of the retreat was to provide writers time and space to write away from their busy lives in a setting that inspires both creativity and productivity.

Five participants were selected based on the publishing potential of their writing; commitment to their writing project; and clearly expressed desire to publish their work. 

Your Art Matters

Contest

UOG Press held the Your Art Matters (YAM) contest in an effort to provide more pathways for suicide prevention for our youth. The goal of the YAM project was to raise awareness about suicide on Guam and inspire youth and young adults ages 15 to 24 to make a statement about the mental health crisis on island through their preferred artistic medium. Submissions addressed at-risk youth and/or young adults and families who lost loved ones to suicide. 

Workshops

In tandem with the contest, UOG Press partnered with Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center’s Guam Focus on Life program to hire local artists and writers to host three craft workshops during the months of March and April to support youth throughout their creative processes. The workshops connected participants with local artists and writers who are well known in their artistic fields and who had a focus on place-based prompts, activities, and mentorship that are close to home, and therefore, more culturally relevant and accessible. This created a stronger connection to what our young artists were creating and who they are creating for. 

Impact

The results of these efforts culminated in 52 YAM contest submissions that were featured in a YAM art showcase at the 2022 Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center Fair located at the Agana Shopping Center. The fair was a great venue to announce the winners of the contest to the public and award prizes to the contest winners. 

One winner was selected from each of the following categories:

1. Poetry: "You Almost Had Me Once " by Isabella Olalia
2. Prose– Short story "10:10 PM" by Ryza Danan
3. Prose– Essay: "The State of Mental Health in the Youth: Let’s Talk About Breaching a Stigma" by Amber Pineda
4. Illustration: "Golden Time" by Seungho (Sunny) Kang
5. Film: "On the Edge" by Emmy Bawit
6. Multi-genre: "Gauze and Tulips" by Anonymous
7. Honorable Mentions:
   1. "The Semicolon" by Dayamaya Calma (Illustration)
   2. "The Mystery of it All" by Heather Olmo (Illustration)