Edgar Calabia Samar

"Eight Muses of the Fall" (Anvil Publishing, 2013)

Samar teaches Philippine Literature and Creative Writing at the Ateneo de Manila University since 2011. He served as President of Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika at Anyo in 2002-2004, and now acts as moderator of Heights. He has served as panelist to several national writers workshops in the Philippines. He also directed the 7th Ateneo National Writers Workshop held in October 2007 at the Sacred Heart Novitiate in Quezon City. He currently lives in Marikina City.

Edgar Calabia Samar (born 1981) is a poet and novelist from San Pablo City, Philippines. He has received the Philippine National Book Awards for his novels and book of criticism, and the Palanca Awards for his poetry collections and short fiction. His novels Sa Kasunod ng 909, Si Janus Silang at ang Tiyanak ng Tabon and Si Janus Silang at ang Labanang Manananggal-Mambabarang all won the Philippine National Book Awards for Best Novel in a Philippine Language in 2012, 2015, and 2016, respectively. He has also been awarded the PBBY-Salanga Writer's Prize, the NCCA Writer's Prize for the Novel, the Gantimpalang Collantes sa Sanaysay, and the Gawad Surian sa Tula. His poetry books, Pag-aabang sa Kundiman: Isang Tulambuhay and Samantalang Sakop at Iniibig: Panibagong Tulambuhay were both nominated for the National Book Award. His award-winning children story Uuwi na ang Nanay Kong si Adarna has been adapted into play and was staged at the Cultural Center of the Philippines as part of The Virgin Labfest in July 2008. The same story was also adapted for television in a storytelling segment of GMA-7's Art Angel episode last May 29, 2008. His book, Walong Diwata ng Pagkahulog, was recipient of the 2005 NCCA Writer's Prize; its translation to English as Eight Muses of the Fall was longlisted in the 2009 Man Asian Literary Prize. Samar is also fellow to the 2010 International Writing Program of the University of Iowa.

Samar was born on 18 February 1981 in San Pablo City, Philippines. He attended a diocesan catholic school, the Liceo de San Pablo, from grade school to high school (1988–1998) before he entered the Ateneo de Manila University where he finished his AB in Psychology (2002) and MA in Filipino Literature (2004). In Ateneo, he became a member of Heights for four years (1998–2002). He received his Doctor of Philosophy from the University of the Philippines in Diliman, which awarded him the Gawad Antonio Abad for Best Dissertation in 2011.