Towards a City of Literature
Duma LitFest returns from April 3 to 6, 2025, with a powerful new edition centered on the theme “Towards a City of Literature.” Taking place primarily at the Arts and Design Collective Dumaguete along 58 EJ Blanco Drive, with parallel programs at UNWND Boutique Hotel and CHADA-A, this second iteration of the festival boldly advances Dumaguete’s aspiration to become a UNESCO Creative City of Literature. Beyond its reputation as the City of Gentle People, Dumaguete is ready to embrace its fuller identity as the City of Stories—a vibrant literary and cultural melting pot.
Festival Director Ian Rosales Casocot and Co-Director Gayle Acar will open the LitFest with a panel titled “On the Road to the City of Literature,” featuring key institutional partners from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI – Negros Oriental) and the Dumaguete City Tourism Office. This conversation sets the stage for a weekend filled with literature, culture, and community building. At the heart of the festival is the keynote address by National Artist for Literature Resil Mojares, who returns to Dumaguete—his alma mater city—sharing reflections on “What Makes a Creative City of Literature?”
The festival boasts a stellar roster of guests, including historian and columnist Ambeth Ocampo, fictionist and professor Jose “Butch” Dalisay Jr., distinguished authors Danton Remoto and Timothy Montes, Atty. Rayundo Pandan, and RomanceClass founder Mina V. Esguerra, who brings April Feels Day to the LitFest for the first time. Duma LitFest also spotlights storytelling outside traditional spaces with “Literature Outside of the Institutions,” a powerful panel featuring voices like Enriquita Alcaide, Anthony Maginsay, Richel Dorotan, and others, honoring the kind of storytelling that flourishes beyond the academy—in communities, on the streets, and in everyday life.
The lineup includes a rich tapestry of storytellers across genres and disciplines. The festival welcomes the voices of poets like Jam Pascual, Alfonso Manalastas, Wanggo Gallaga, Angela Gabrielle Fabunan, Vince Agcaoili, and F. Jordan Carnice, who bring rhythm and insight to our panel conversations.Meanwhile, celebrated food writer Ige Ramos, together with Mohammed Malik and Renz Torres explore cuisine as literature in Kaon-Kaon: Writing About Food.
Celebrated Binisaya authors CD Borden, Richel Dorotan, and Serafin Plotria Jr. join panels on regional writing and the role of native language in creative expression. Local and “nadagit” voices like Geraldine Solon, and Mitos Suson highlight Dumaguete ‘s welcoming nature as a creative refuge . Artists and storytellers such as Earnest Hope Tinambacan, Andrew Alvarez, Keith Nemenzo, Junsly Kitay, and Nicky Dumapit bring stories to life beyond the printed page . On the theatrical front, Dessa Quesada-Palm, Tanya Lopez, and Hobart Savior lead discussions on community theater’s evolving role in cultural preservation.
Duma LitFest also features an expansive Zine Fest and Literary Bazaar running throughout the weekend, featuring indie presses, bookshops, and creators. The marketplace will feature titles and limited-edition zines from LibrAria Books, XIQ Bookshop, Lost Books, Dum.alt.press, Dum.alt.press, Buglas Writers, Writers’ Block, Arrows & Quivers, The Book Thrifter, Bookstore of the Eve, and Pinspired, with support from educational partners and creative vendors pushing the boundaries of print and publishing.
Young readers are in for a treat with ChikitingLit, a lively lineup of storytelling, screenings (including Miming and Friends), and hands-on workshops. Authors and educators such as Grace Gaston-Dousel, Chinky F. Paculanang, Merlo C. Fuentes, and Edgar Calabia Samar lead panels on nurturing a love of reading and the role of literature in education.
Special panels and workshops also tackle timely topics: AI and the future of literature (Modaog ba og Nobel si ChatGPT?), speculative historical fiction, LGBTQ+ writing, publishing pathways, and community-rooted literary work. Evening programs include film screenings in partnership with Lutas Film Festival, poetry open mics hosted by the Silliman Writers Bloc, and RomanceClass’s signature Feel Mo ‘To, a live, intimate reading of romance fiction.
Book launches include Here and Now by Geraldine Solon, Follower of the Seasons by Oscar Peñaranda, and A Practical Guide to Sigbin Keeping by Mitos Suson and Darwin Price—titles that reflect the festival’s wide embrace of voices, styles, and storytelling traditions.
Duma LitFest is a shared commitment by the Buglas Writers Guild, LibrAria Books, and the Edilberto and Edith Tiempo Creative Writing Center to grow a culture of reading, writing, and critical engagement. The festival is made possible through the support of DTI–Negros Oriental, Dumaguete City Tourism Office, Cebu Pacific, and UNWND Boutique Hotel. Platinum sponsors include Pinspired, Backpack Solutions, Florentina Homes, Inspiro, Leon Gallery, Adamo, Summit Drinking Water, and Talecraft.
As Dumaguete steps boldly toward its literary future, Duma LitFest 2025 invites everyone to witness and take part in a gathering where words matter, stories thrive, and the city itself becomes a book still being written. It is a celebration that reminds us: Dumaguete is more than just the City of Gentle People – it has always been a City of Storytellers, a City of Stories.