Lerah Mae Barcenilla grew up in Cuartero, Capiz in the Philippines full of magic, superstition and tradition before moving to the UK. Her work explores Filipino history, mythologies and folklore, the unreliability of memory and the violence and delight in transformation. Her poetry can be found in Harana Poetry, with Verve Poetry Press and won the Creative Future Writers Award–Platinum Poetry (2022), while her fantasy novel was Highly Commended in The Literary Consultancy’s PEN Factor Award–Novel (2021) and placed Second Place for Text in the FAB Prize (2023). Her short story, ‘The City Where One Finds the Lost’ was published in Fly On The Wall Press’ ‘Modern Gothic’ anthology (2024).
When she is not writing, she works as a marketing officer for the music charity responsible for two of Birmingham’s iconic concert halls or collecting and researching resources on the cultures, customs and beliefs of pre-colonial Philippines.
(C) Moira Barcenilla