A UST Creative Writing professor has bagged a prize for his book about a zombie apocalypse at the 8th National Children’s Book Awards (NCBA).
Assoc. Prof. Chuckberry Pascual was among the 20 recipients of the Kid’s Choice Award for his novel titled Mars, May Zombie! which follows Mars, a survivor of a zombie apocalypse, as he tries to navigate his way through life in a state of decay.
The winning works for the category were selected by a panel of child judges.
Pascual said the award is a testament to young readers’ appreciation for Filipino writers and literature as a whole.
“Mahalaga sa akin ito dahil isinulat ko talaga ito para sa mga kabataan, at nagustuhan naman ng mga kabataang hurado. Mahalaga rin dahil puwedeng ituring na patunay na nagbabasa ang mga kabataan natin, at may appreciation sila sa mga likha ng manunulat na Pilipino,” Pascual said in an email interview with The Flame.
(This is important to me because I really wrote this for the youth, and the child judges did like it. Its importance also lies in the proof that our youth does read, and that they appreciate works written by Filipino writers.)
When asked about his thought process in writing the novel, Pascual said he decided to write a zombie fiction story due to a loved one’s death.
“I lost a loved one, which is why I started to write fiction. I used it to cope with death,” the professor said.
He also recalled pandemic woes and the proliferation of misinformation about how vaccinations would allegedly turn people into zombies as his inspirations.
“The pandemic revealed the division between society, especially when it comes to class: those in the comfort of their own homes, those who needed to go outside, and those who lost their livelihoods. The government’s response was frustrating,” Pascual added.
The professor also took inspiration from his own grandmother in writing the character of Lola Vicky, one of Mars’s companions while living in a zombie-infested world set in 2028.
“Laging may pag-asa. At yung halaga ng sama-samang pagkilos, ng pagtutulungan,” he added, highlighting the message he wants to leave to the readers of the book.
(There is always hope. Alongside the importance of working together and helping each other.)
The NCBA is a biennial event organized by the Philippine Board on Books for Young People and the National Book Development Board.
Launched in 2010, the awards program honors the best local titles for young readers. F – Francis Miguell Sta. Rosa
