slacker mommy files

    Neil Gaiman has to be my most favorite writer ever. He can write down the most surreal landscapes and the most entertaining adventures. I first read his Sandman series back inn 2004 and afterwards, I was totally hooked. Then in 2006 I bought Neverwhere and it reminded me of Alice in Wonderland, only it was much darker, much more dangerous and definitely much more fun. Reading Gaiman would be best described as “like reading a dream that came to life”.

    In 2005, Neil Gaiman came here to promote his book, Anansi Boys. I wasn’t fortunate enough to go to his book signing and anyway, the only thing I would have done then was oggle and have daydream fantasies about him. I was still in college, meaning I was practically penniless. T_T A year after that, I was happily surprised that the G-man was, with the helped of Fully Booked, sponsored the 1st Philippine Graphic/Fiction Awards. He saw a long tradition of realism in Philippine fiction and he wanted to promote fictional unrealism among Filipino writers and comic book artists. It is quite something that a multi-awarded writer would come and take the time to try and introduce a new way of writing here in our country. Imagine just what the bookstore shelves would contain then, when writers are encouraged to let their imaginations go where no one has gone before. It would be a welcome change from the harsh realism that is prevalent in our current literature.

    I like reading fantasy fictions but most of the fictions that I get to read are those written by American or British authors. It is a shame really, since I know that we have such rich collections of oral stories of the supernatural and the fantastic and no one has bothered to write anything based on those, as least as far as I know. Fantastic stories are relegated to the children’s section of bookstores, confined in children’s books. I guess, that fact is starting to change now.

    On March 17, 2010, Neil Gaiman will be coming to Rockwell to announce the winners of the 3rd Philippine Graphic/Fiction Awards. This year, aside from awards for prose and comics, there will also be awards for short films entered in the contest. I wish everyone who participated the best of luck!

    I wish I could go there next month. It would be a great time to meet my favorite writer in the flesh, and maybe get him to sign my copy of Neverwhere. XD It would be one of the coolest events on my life. Anyway, we’ll see then. On this note, I leave you guys with this clip aired on the 1st Graphic/Fiction Awards, to present Neil Gaiman.

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