EP 199: Interview with author Gershom Mabaquiao

In this episode, R. N. Roveleh, one of the co-hosts of The Nuts and Bolts of Writing and co-editor of the literary magazine The Unconventional Courier, interviews writer Gershom Gerneth Mabaquiao.

He is a writer of fiction and nonfiction. His works touch on the darker recesses of the human psyche and Philippine folklore. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of the Philippines Los Baños.

Gershom's short story, A Heaven so True for Saint Peter, appeared in The Unconventional Courier in October 2022. His prose is deep and hard-hitting, an incursion into the dark side of human nature that isn't afraid to dive into heavy themes, analyze them and make them come alive with a touch of magical realism.

You can find Gershom Mabaquiao on:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gershom.gerneth/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gershom.gerneth/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/gershomgerneth

R.N. Roveleh asks Gershom the following questions:

1. What are some themes that you like exploring in your prose?

2. Censorship is something that writers who tackle such taboo topics always have at the back of their mind. Especially in today’s world of Trigger Warnings. I’m not only talking about being censored by the book industry or by a more sensitive readership, but also about the writing process - about censoring yourself, about choosing how far you want to go when describing such topics. Can you tell us more about this?

3. Writing is very often not about what you write, but about how you write it. How do you approach writing a difficult topic? And how do you balance saying what you want to say with directing your reader’s emotions throughout the story?

4. What kind of fiction do you like and find inspiring?

5. How would you define magical realism, and how does it appear in your prose?

6. Are there any literary projects that you’re working on at the moment? Can you share with us some of your literary plans for the future?

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