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Dean Alfar

Dean Francis Alfar (born 1969), is a Filipino playwright, novelist and writer of speculative fiction. His plays have been performed in venues across the country, while his articles and fiction have been published both in his native Philippines and abroad, such as in Strange Horizons, Rabid Transit, The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror and the Exotic Gothic series.

He is the author of the novel 'Salamanca (Ateneo Press, 2006), as well as two collections of short fiction - The Kite of Stars and other stories (Anvil Publishing, 2007) and How to Traverse Terra Incognita (Flipside Press, 2012).

 

His literary awards include ten Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature (Palanca Awards) — including the Grand Prize for Novel — as well as the Manila Critics' Circle National Book Awards for the graphic novels Siglo: Freedom and Siglo: Passion, and the Philippines Free Press Literary Award.

 

He was a fellow at the 1992 Dumaguete National Writers Workshop as well as the 20th and 48th UP National Writers Workshop.

He is an advocate of the literature of the fantastic, editing the Philippine Speculative Fiction series, as well as a comic book creator and a blogger.

Alfar is also an entrepreneur — running several businesses. He lives in Manila with his wife, fictionist Nikki Alfar and their two daughters.

AWards Received

Philippine Graphic Fiction Awards

  • 2010 - Prose (Remembrance)

 

Gintong Aklat Awards

  • 2008 - Literature (Salamanca)

 

Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature

  • 2007 - for short story for Children (Poor, Poor Luisa)

  • 2006 - for short story for Children (How Rosang Taba Won the Race)

  • 2005 - for the novel (Salamanca)

  • 2004 - for futuristic fiction (Hollow Girl)

  • 2004 - for one-act play (The Kite of Stars)

  • 2003 - for one-act play (The Onan Circle)

  • 1994 - for full-length play (Island)

  • 1994 - for one-act play (Loving Toto)

  • 1991 - for one-act play (Short Time)

  • 1990 - for one-act play (Fragments of Memory)

 

Manila Critics' Circle National Book Awards

  • 2006- Best Comic Book (Siglo: Passion)

  • 2004- Best Comic Book (Siglo: Freedom)

 

Philippines Free Press Literary Awards

  • 2007 - for short story (Six from Downtown)

 

Fellowships

  • 31st National Writers' Workshop, Dumaguete (1992) - Writing Fellow

  • 20th U.P. National Writers' Workshop (1992) - Writing Fellow

  • 48th U.P. National Writers' Workshop (2009) - Writing Fellow

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