Spanish Microfiction Finds a New Home in Manila: Lorena Escudero to Lead Groundbreaking Workshops at UP Diliman and Instituto Cervantes

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Manila, Philippines – August 2025 — In an age where attention spans shrink and words must work harder than ever to leave a lasting impression, Spanish writer Lorena Escudero is bringing one of literature’s most powerful forms—the art of microfiction—to the Philippines.

On August 27 at the University of the Philippines–Diliman and on August 28 at Instituto Cervantes de Manila (Makati branch), Escudero will lead “Lo bueno, si breve” (The good, if brief), a pair of intensive workshops designed to teach Filipino students and young writers the craft of creating worlds in just a handful of sentences.

The Power of Brevity

Microfiction, or microrrelato, is the art of telling an entire story in its most distilled form—sometimes no longer than a single paragraph, or even a single line. For Escudero, a physicist by training and a writer by passion, the form is not just about conciseness but about precision, intensity, and the subtle magic of suggestion.

Through interactive exercises, she will guide participants in discovering how just a few words can ignite the imagination, leaving gaps that readers instinctively fill with emotion and meaning. It is literature in its most minimalist yet most explosive form—every word charged with significance.

About Lorena Escudero

Born in Soria in 1985, Lorena Escudero represents a rare fusion of science and art. Holding a PhD in Physics and working as a researcher at the University of Cambridge, she has also carved out a luminous career in Spanish literature.

Her published works include:

Negativos (Torremozas, Spain, 2015)

Formulario (La tinta del silencio, Mexico, 2019)

Incisiones (Quarks Ediciones Digitales, Peru, 2021)

Her most recent book, Oxímoron (2023), earned her the Premio Iscariote for best book of microfiction—cementing her place as one of the most compelling voices in this genre.

A Filipino-Spanish Literary Bridge

The workshops are not just standalone events but are part of the VI Certamen Juvenil de Creación Literaria “Rafael Palma” (2025), a youth literary contest honoring the legacy of Rafael Palma, the Filipino writer and intellectual who played a key role in shaping Philippine letters during the Spanish period.

Participants in Escudero’s workshops will be tasked to write their own original micro-stories. Winning entries will find their place in the respected Revista Filipina, alongside recognition from the University of the Philippines and Instituto Cervantes de Manila. Prizes include certificates and a coveted scholarship for a Spanish language course—offering young Filipinos not just inspiration, but opportunity.

Reviving the Spanish Literary Legacy in the Philippines

This initiative is more than a workshop. It is part of a larger movement to reconnect Filipinos with the Spanish language, which, for centuries, was the vessel of the nation’s intellectual, political, and cultural life. By embracing microfiction, Filipino writers are invited to rediscover this heritage in a form uniquely suited for the 21st century—concise, sharp, and globally resonant.

A Collaboration of Cultural Forces

“Lo bueno, si breve” is presented by Instituto Cervantes de Manila, in collaboration with the Embassy of Spain in the Philippines, AECID Philippines, the UP Diliman Department of European Languages, Revista Filipina, the Education Office of the Embassy of Spain, the Academia Filipina de la Lengua Española, and AFELE – Asociación Filipina de Enseñanza de ELE.

How to Join

Students, aspiring writers, and lovers of Spanish literature are encouraged to register at https://forms.office.com/e/wcpRSGJ3sZ.

For more details about Instituto Cervantes’ cultural program, visit www.manila.cervantes.es or follow Instituto Cervantes Manila on Facebook.

In just two afternoons, Lorena Escudero promises to transform how young Filipinos think about storytelling. In her hands, the smallest story may turn out to be the most unforgettable.

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