Authors & Books

Ergoe Tinio is an editor, translator, and writer of children’s literature and poetry. She is the co-creator of Salusalo para kay Kuya and Hanapin ang Sagot: Ano ang Batas Militar?, both of which received the National Children’s Book Awards. She is the Editor in Chief of CANVAS (Center for Art, New Ventures & Sustainable Development), working with the creative community to produce books for donation under the One Million Books for One Million Filipino Children Campaign.

A food security advocate and activist, Ergoe also channels her bookish energy into learning and writing about peasant rights and land struggles. She lives in Quezon City with her husband and their cat, Siopao.

Renato Clarete Tranquilino is a Filipino-Australian IT professional based in Manila, where he lives with his wife and child. With a passion for both technology and storytelling, he draws inspiration from sci‑fi and fantasy films—fueling creative interests that extend far beyond the digital realm. When he isn’t immersed in work or exploring virtual worlds in League of Legends, he dreams of traveling to destinations that evoke the magic of science fiction and urban fantasy landscapes.

Raised for most of his adult life in Sydney and with eight years of professional experience in New York, Renato embarked on his writing journey in 2019. Since then, he has published five books, including his latest novella, Hong Kong Connection, and the graphic novel adaptation of The Merovingian. Currently, he is working on two new works scheduled for release in 2025. In 2024, he proudly represented Philippine science fiction as a grantee of the NBDB and NCCA at the Frankfurt Book Festival. He will return as a grantee at the 2025 Frankfurt Book Fair, where the Philippines is the Guest of Honour.

A lifelong sci‑fi enthusiast, Renato’s passion for the genre was sparked by watching Star Wars in 1977. Beyond his professional and literary endeavors, he loves traveling with his family to experience the rich cultures and wonders of the world.

Katrina Tuvera has written two novels and a short story collection, and co-edited two anthologies of Philippine literature. Her latest work is Volume 3 of A History of the University of the Philippines (2024, University of the Philippines Press), which she co-authored. She is a professorial lecturer at De La Salle University, and has worked as a writer and editor for projects of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Asian Development Bank, and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Randy Valiente is a comic book writer and artist who has illustrated for local and international publications, including Twilight Zone, Vampirella, Army of Darkness, and Re-Animator.

He is the curator of the travelling exhibit Komiks: Sining Biswal (Isandaang Taon ng Komiks sa Pilipinas) and a board member of the International Board on Books for Young People Philippines. He is also an editor-at-large at Vibal Publications, where he handles the publications and reprints of famous classic Filipino komiks.

Randy has received numerous awards including the 2020 Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Grants, 2020 National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Writer’s Prize, and Gawad Tanglaw 2020, to name a few. His latest graphic novel Sining Killing published by Komiket won the 2024 National Book Award for Best Graphic Novel in Filipino.

Nicole Arianne S. Velasquez is a Senior Editor at Anvil Publishing, where she has played a key role in developing best-selling fiction and nonfiction titles, as well as managing translation rights acquisition and sales over the past three years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication Arts from the University of the Philippines Tacloban and previously worked in events marketing and advertising before transitioning into publishing. In addition to her full-time role, she works as a freelance editor for international publishers and self-published authors, leading cross-cultural editorial teams, creating marketing content, and guiding book ideation and development.

Jane Vergara is the author of the Breaking the Scroll trilogy and the poignant novel The Gap Between Forever, which showcases her range as a storyteller. With 25 years of professional experience, she is the Chief Information Officer of a leading Philippine thrift bank. A Certified Public Accountant and Certified Internal Auditor, Jane also pursues painting, sketching, and writing, embodying a harmonious blend of analytical precision and creative passion.

Ronald II Verzo is the publisher behind Isang Balangay Media Productions (Balangay Books), a publishing house he envisioned as a platform for empowering local and grassroots literature, readership, and publishing. Under his leadership, Balangay Books won the Gintong Aklat Award for Best Independent Publisher in 2024 and has received multiple Philippine National Book Awards, Madrigal-Gonzales Best First Book Awards, and the Filipino Readers’ Choice Awards. The press is also a founding member of The Indie Publishers Collab PH, a collective of small presses across the Philippines.

Beyond publishing, Verzo has played a significant role in the literary community. He served as the editor of Lita: Poems on Women, which won the Filipino Reader’s Choice Award for Best Book of Poetry in 2012. He also co-translated John Green’s novel Paper Towns into Filipino. His poetry-memoir, May Hindi Maalalang Mga Pangalan, was recently published as part of Aklat Ulagad’s Signap Series. Additionally, he co-founded the Cavite Young Writers Association and led the organization as its president for its first seven years.

Ronaldo Vivo is the author of the Dreamland Trilogy—Ang Kapangyarihang Higit sa Ating Lahat (The Power Above Us All), Ang Bangin sa Ilalim ng Ating mga Paa (The Abyss Beneath Our Feet), and Ang Suklam sa Ating Naaagnas na Balat (The Loathe Within Our Rotting Flesh). His debut novel was a finalist for the Madrigal-Gonzales First Book Award. He is also a recipient of the Gawad Bienvenido Lumbera for short fiction and the National Book Award for Best Book of Short Fiction in Filipino. As a musician, he operates Sound Carpentry Recordings, which releases music on cassette, CD, and vinyl for worldwide distribution. He also serves as the drummer for bands such as Basalt Shrine, Abanglupa, The Insektlife Cycle, and Dagtum, among others. He is also an award-winning filmmaker whose short films have been screened in festivals and cinemas in the Philippines and overseas.

Cindy Wong is the founder of 8Letters Bookstore & Publishing, a dynamic publishing house based in the Philippines. With a deep passion for literature and storytelling, she has dedicated her career to fostering a vibrant literary community and promoting sustainable publishing practices. She understands and empathizes with writers from the Philippines, which inspired her to establish the 8Circles community. This platform now includes thousands of writers and readers, encouraging collaboration and engagement in the literary world.
A well-traveled individual, Cindy is one of the few Filipinos to have journeyed to Antarctica. Her diverse experiences enrich her perspective on storytelling and the importance of representing various narratives.
As a mother of two boys, Cindy skillfully balances her professional and personal life. Her experiences as a parent further motivate her commitment to creating opportunities for emerging voices in literature, ensuring that stories from all walks of life are shared.
Under her leadership, 8Letters has transformed from a small book curator to a significant player in the publishing industry, featuring over 400 titles from authors across the Philippine archipelago. The company’s innovative print-on-demand model prioritizes sustainability while making literature accessible to a wider audience.
Cindy Wong’s vision and dedication continue to drive her mission of championing quality literature and building a supportive community for writers and readers alike.

Tanya Yuson is a founding partner and Chief Creative Development officer of BASE Entertainment, a studio based out of Jakarta and Singapore that develops, finances, produces and distributes content for the Indonesian market, as well as for the international market. She is the Executive Producer and writer for the Netflix Original Anime Series Trese, Prime Video’s Comedy Island for the Philippine and Indonesian version, and co-showrunner (Executive Producer and Head Writer) for Cigarette Girl, Indonesia’s first Netflix Original Series, which debuted at the Busan International Film Festival and won Best-Miniseries at the 2024 Seoul International Drama Awards.

Currently, BASE has a slate of projects in varying stages of development and pre-production, including a slate of movies that are co-productions with CJ Entertainment and Ivanhoe, the first of which is Joko Anwar’s film Impetigore, which had its world premiere at Sundance in 2020 and won the top prize at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival in South Korea. Aside from Trese, BASE also has its live-action series Quarantine Tales on Netflix, as well as the films Respati, My Annoying Brother, and The Adventures of Sherina 2. Prior to founding BASE, Tanya spent 14 years in New York and Los Angeles where she worked in development for studios such as New Line Cinema and The Walt Disney Company. She then went on to be a producer and an executive at Millar Gough Ink, a production company whose principals were Al Gough and Miles Millar, where she worked on company projects such as Smallville for TV and feature films such as The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Hannah Montana: The Movie and I Am Number Four, to name a few. Tanya was also a consultant for the Dino de Laurentiis company in Los Angeles.

Alaric “Anygma” Yuson is the Founder and CEO of the world famous, and most viewed, FlipTop Battle League, as well as the independent HipHop label, Uprising Records Philippines.

FlipTop is the premiere Filipino Rap Battle League and has been popularly credited for the resurgence, prevalence, and domination of local HipHop as a culture and genre. Founded in 2010, FlipTop has elevated an often misunderstood niche artform into an unparalleled nationwide cultural phenomenon. Comprised of the country’s top 200 active battle rappers, FlipTop has made household names of its biggest stars and has provided a platform for many artists to pursue their HipHop careers full time.

Uprising Records Philippines is a grass-roots HipHop label that has managed to support over 30 of the scene’s most known and unique HipHop artists from all over Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, through self-produced events, tours, album launches, as well as dominating in the hyper-competitive world of modern battle rap. UPRISING has earned its reputation of doing without trends and hype by mostly relying on the sheer quality and vision of its output, with over 30 albums released under its belt.

Jessica Zafra has published a novel, The Age of Umbrage, three short story collections, and the Twisted series of books on travel and popular culture. She has presented television shows and web series, hosted radio talk shows, and written and produced feature films. Her second novel is being adapted for film.