Visual Communication faculty member wins the Philippines National Book Award for Poetry in Bisayan language

Scripps College of Communication Visual Communication Assistant Professor Adonis Durado, MFA ’20, has won a Philippines National Book Award for his poetry collection titled "Ang Nakayatak kay Nayatakan (Who Steps Upon is Stepped Upon)." Durado won in the Best Book of Poetry in Binsaya (Cebuano) category.

The Philippines National Book Awards is a prestigious and long-running award co-sponsored by the National Book Development Board (NBDB) and the Manila Critics Circle (MCC). It honors the most outstanding book titles written, designed, and published in the Philippines, and aims to celebrate the enterprising creative work involved in book publishing. This year, a total of 235 titles were submitted across 34 categories, representing seven languages spoken in the country: Filipino, English, Bikol, Binisaya (Cebuano), Hiligaynon, Tausug, and Waray. This is the 41st year of the awards.

"For me, as a Cebuano speaker, this award feels like vindication. I believe this is the first book to receive the Award for Cebuano poetry," said Durado, who is from Cebu City, Philippines. In the multilingual country where English and the national language, Tagalog, are dominant, Cebuano writers often face challenges in getting their work published and recognized.

The award-winning book is the fifth in Durado’s collection and includes more than 60 poems covering topics ranging from local experiences to global news events, all infused with Cebuano humor. The book's title, "Ang Nakayatak kay Nayatakan," is a Cebuano tongue-twister.

Durado has over 20 years of professional experience as a visual journalist, art director, and design manager in Asia and the Middle East. He joined Ohio University as a Knight Fellow and, after completing a Master of Fine Arts in Communication Media Arts, began as an assistant professor of visual communication.

Durado began writing poetry while serving as the editor-in-chief of the student newspaper during his undergraduate studies at the University of San Carlos, Philippines. He believes that poetry and visual communication are interconnected, despite being considered different fields.

"The reason I'm a successful designer is that I respect texts, and I understand content very well. My poetry informs my graphic design, and at the same time, design helps my poetry."

Learn more about the School of Visual Communication.