Edgar Calabia Samar

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 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 Philippine National Book Awards. His children's story ''Uuwi na ang Nanay Kong si Darna'' has been adapted into a 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 on May 29, 2008. The plot was described by the Philippine Board on Books for Young People as "Popoy counts the day to his mother’s homecoming from her overseas job and fantasizes the Darna powers his supermom has".

Samar's book, ''Walong Diwata ng Pagkahulog,'' was awarded 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 was a fellow of the International Writing Program of the University of Iowa. Provided by Wikipedia