DUMAGUETE CITY — Dumaguete-based poet Angela Gabrielle Fabunan has been shortlisted as a finalist for the 2026 Montreal International Poetry Prize for her poem “Half Disclosure.” The recognition places her among a select group of poets from around the world competing for one of the largest cash prizes awarded to a single poem.
A Global Stage for a Local Voice
The Montreal International Poetry Prize is administered by the Department of English at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. It is a biennial competition that awards CAD 20,000 to a single original poem of forty lines or fewer. An international jury selects a shortlist of approximately sixty finalists, whose works are published in The Montreal Poetry Prize Anthology by Véhicule Press.
Fabunan’s inclusion on the shortlist was confirmed alongside other finalists, including Nigerian poet Rasaq Malik Gbọ́láhàn. The prize is judged anonymously, with the winning poem selected by an internationally recognized poet. Being named a finalist places Fabunan’s work among the most compelling contemporary poetry written in English today.
A Poet Shaped by Two Worlds
Born in the Philippines and raised in New York City, Fabunan graduated from Bowdoin College and later pursued a Master of Arts in Creative Writing at the University of the Philippines. Her writing explores the tension between her Filipino heritage and her American upbringing, a theme that resonates throughout her published collections.
She is the author of The Sea That Beckoned, published by Platypus Press in 2019, and Young Enough to Play, released by the University of the Philippines Press in 2022. Her poems have appeared in journals such as Asymptote, Cha, Anti-Heroin Chic, and New Asian Writing. She also serves as poetry editor of Inklette Magazine and copy editor of Balangiga Press.
A Record of Literary Achievement
Fabunan’s nomination adds to a growing list of accolades. In 2016, she won third prize in the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Poetry. She has also received the Amelia Lapeña Bonifacio Literary Award for Poetry and has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. She has participated in the Silliman University National Writers’ Workshop and currently teaches creative writing at Silliman University’s English Department.
Her presence in Dumaguete has enriched the city’s literary community. As a faculty member, she mentors young writers and contributes to the vibrant creative culture that has long defined the City of Gentle People. Her achievement as a Montreal Prize finalist reflects the strength of Philippine poetry on the international stage.
What the Recognition Means
The Montreal Prize shortlist is not merely a contest result; it is a signal that a poet’s work stands out in a global field. Thousands of entries are submitted from across the world, and the sixty finalists represent the finest poems of the cycle. For Fabunan, this recognition amplifies her voice and brings attention to the rich literary tradition of Negros Oriental.
The prize also highlights the growing visibility of Filipino poets abroad. Fabunan joins a lineage of writers whose work bridges cultures and languages, demonstrating that stories from the Philippines resonate with readers everywhere. Her shortlisting is a point of pride for Dumaguete and the wider Philippine literary community.
