Dean Francis Alfar
Dean Francis Alfar 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 locally and abroad, most recently in Strange Horizons, Rabid Transit and The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror. His writing awards include eight Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature (Palanca Awards) — most recently the Grand Prize for Novel in 2005 for Salamanca (Ateneo Press, 2006)— and the Manila Critics’ Circle National Book Award for the acclaimed graphic novel Siglo: Freedom.
He is an advocate of the literature of the fantastic, recently editing the first volume of Philippine Speculative Fiction (Kestrel, 2005), as well as a comic book creator (The Lost, ab ovo, and the grafiction anthology Siglo: Passion) and an inveterate blogger. Alfar is also an entrepreneur—running two businesses, the pet store Petty Pets and the integrated marketing company Kestrel IMC. He lives in Manila with his wife, fictionist Nikki Alfar and their daughter Sage.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
I. Books
Salamanca by Dean Francis Alfar. Ateneo de Manila University Press, April 2006. [Grand Prize Winner for Novel, Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, 2005.]
Philippine Speculative Fiction Vol. 1, edited by Dean Francis Alfar. Kestrel, December 2005. [Anthology of short fiction.]
Philippine Speculative Fiction Vol. 2, edited by Dean Francis Alfar. Kestrel, December 2006. [Anthology of short fiction—forthcoming.]
II. Short Fiction
“Sabados con Fray Villalobos” in Escabeche for the Soul, edited by Cecelia Brainard (forthcoming).
“Dragon Eyes” in A Time for Dragons, edited by Vincent Michael Simbulan (Milflores, 2006—forthcoming).
“The Maiden and the Crocodile” in Story Philippines, March 2006.
“Hollow Girl: A Romance” in Latitude: Writing from the Philippines and Scotland, edited by Angelo R. Lacuesta and Toni Davidson (Anvil Publishing, March 2006—Futuristic Fiction, Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, 2004).
“Four-letter Words” in Manual, January 2006.
“Terminos” in Rabid Transit : Menagerie, Velocity Press USA, May 2005 (nominated for 2006 Spectrum Award).
“L’Aquilone du Estrellas (The Kite of Stars)” in Strange Horizons, January 2003; in The Year’s Best Fantasy & Horror Seventeenth Annual Collection, edited by Ellen Datlow, Kelly Link & Gavin Grant (St. Martin’s Press USA, August 2004); and in Philippine Speculative Fiction Vol. 1, edited by Dean Francis Alfar ( Kestrel, December 2005).
“Gumamela” in ab ovo 2 (Kestrel Studios, January 2003).
“Ser Clessidrana Acerca Tiempo (Mr. Clessidrana Thinks About Time)” in Hinirang.com, 2002.
“Kung Paano Nanalo Ng Karera Si Rosang Taba (How Rosang Taba Won A Race)” in Hinirang.com, 2002.
“(push)” in Stuff 1, May 2001.
“Spark: The Sad and Strange Tale of Sister Maria Dolores, the Nun who Exploded” in National Midweek, 1992.
“The Last Mermaid Story” in National Midweek, 1992.
“The Secret Measure” in National Midweek, 1992.
“Magan & Balo” in MOD Magazine, 1991.
III. Comic Books
Siglo: Passion, edited by Dean Francis Alfar & Michael Vincent Simbulan (Kestrel/Nautilus Books, 2005).
“The Craft Century” in Project: Hero, edited by Elbert Or & Andrew Drilon (Questventures, 2005).
“Invitation” in K.I.A., edited by Marco Dimaano (Alamat Comics, 2005).
“Quad” in Hey Comics!, edited by Ramon de Veyra, 2004.
Siglo: Freedom, edited by Dean Francis Alfar & Michael Vincent Simbulan (Kestrel/Nautilus Books, 2003—National Book Award, Best Comic Book, 2004).
Ab Ovo 1, 2, edited by Dean Francis Alfar (Kestrel, 2002).
The Lost 1, 2. Kestrel, 2001.
IV. Awards
“Salamanca.” Novel, Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, 2005.
“Hollow Girl: A Romance.” Futuristic Fiction, Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, 2004.
“The Kite of Stars.” One-Act Play, Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, 2004.
“Siglo: Freedom.” Best Comic Book, Manila Critics’ Circle National Book Award, 2004.
“The Onan Circle.” One-Act Play, Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, 2003.
“Island.” Full-length Play, Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, 1994.
“Loving Toto.” One-Act Play, Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, 1994.
“Short Time.” One-Act Play, Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, 1991.
“Fragments of Memory.” One-Act Play, Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, 1990.