Jessica Zafra (; born 1965) is a fiction writer, columnist, editor, publisher, and former television and radio show host.
[Jessica Zafra is Powerbooks' author of the month]
, ''The Manila Times
''The Manila Times'' is the oldest extant English-language newspaper in the Philippines. It is published daily by The Manila Times Publishing Corp. (formerly La Vanguardia Publishing Corporation) with editorial and administrative offices at 2/F ...
'', 11 February 2008, p. C1. Retrieved 20 November 2013 She is known for her sharp and witty writing style. Her work often are about current events (both Philippine and international), tennis, movies, music, cats, books, technology, and her personal life. Her work has been the subject of academic study. The main ingredient to her work is often fun cynicism and irony.
Biography
Zafra attended
Saint Theresa's College of Quezon City
St. Theresa's College of Quezon City also called by its acronym STC, is a private Catholic basic education institution for girls (formerly also a higher education institution) run by the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Quezo ...
, Quezon City, from prep school until the 6th Grade, after which she went to the main campus of the
Philippine Science High School The Philippine Science High School System is a research-oriented and specialized public high school system in the Philippines that operates as an attached agency of the Philippine Department of Science and Technology.
The Philippine Science High S ...
and then to the
University of the Philippines
The University of the Philippines (UP; fil, Pamantasan ng Pilipinas Unibersidad ng Pilipinas) is a state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by Republic Act No. 9500 (UP Charter of 20 ...
where she majored in
comparative literature
Comparative literature is an academic field dealing with the study of literature and cultural expression across linguistic, national, geographic, and disciplinary boundaries. Comparative literature "performs a role similar to that of the study ...
.
Her most popular books are the ''Twisted'' series,
[Jessica Zafra and Cory Quirinoto Sign Books]
, ''Philippine Daily Inquirer
The ''Philippine Daily Inquirer'' (''PDI''), or simply the ''Inquirer'', is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines. Founded in 1985, it is often regarded as the Philippines' newspaper of record. The newspaper is the most awarded br ...
'', 2 September 2002, p. E8. Retrieved 20 November 2013Review: Twisted 8 1/2 by Jessica Zafra
, abs-cbnnews.com, 27 January 2010. Retrieved 20 November 2013 a collection of her essays as a columnist for the newspaper ''Today'' (now ''Manila Standard Today
The ''Manila Standard'' is a broadsheet newspaper in the Philippines. , it is owned by the Romualdez family. The Romualdezes, through incumbent speaker of the House Martin Romualdez, also own Journal Publications, Inc., the owner of tabloid p ...
''), as well as from her time as editor and publisher of the magazine ''Flip''.Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
, Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
, where she is working on her first novel
A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to pu ...
. She also managed the Eraserheads
Eraserheads (sometimes stylized as ERASƎRHEADS or ƎRASƎRHƎADS) are a Filipino alternative rock band formed in 1989. With a line-up comprising Ely Buendia, Buddy Zabala, Marcus Adoro, and Raimund Marasigan, the band became one of the most ...
during the 1990s.
Selected publications
Books
* ''500 People You Meet in Hell''
* ''Manananggal Terrorizes Manila and Other Short Stories'', 1992
* ''Womenagerie and Other Tales from the Front'', 1995
* ''Twisted'', 1995
* ''Twisted II: Spawn of Twisted'', 1996
* ''Fruitcake'', 1997 (as editor)
* ''Planet of the Twisted'', 1998
* ''Chicken Pox for the Soul'', 1999
* ''Twisted IV''
* ''Twisted V''
* ''Twisted 6''
* ''Tw7sted''
* ''Twisted 8: Night of the Living Twisted''
* ''Twisted Flicks'', 2007
* ''Twisted Travels''
*''Twisted 8½''
*''Twisted 9''
*''The word-eaters''
*''Jocks vs Geeks'', 2014
* ''The Collected Stories of Jessica Zafra'', 2019
* ''The Age of Umbrage'', 2020
Magazines
* ''Manila Envelope''
Filmography
Television
* ''Points of View'', Studio 23
Studio 23 (officially Studio 23, Inc. and previously AMCARA Broadcasting Network) was a Filipino television network owned by ABS-CBN Corporation. The network was named for its flagship station in Metro Manila, DWAC-TV and carried on UHF cha ...
Other works
CDs
* ''Twisted's Greatest Hits'
Radio shows
* ''Twisted on a Sunday'', 103.5 K-Lite FM
Awards
* 1991 Palanca Award, 1st Place, Short Story Category for "Portents"
* 1993 Palanca Award, 3rd Place, Short Story Category for "Bad Boy, Robin, Baad, Baad Boy"
* 1994 Palanca Award, 3rd Place, Short Story Category for "Black"
References
External links
JessicaRulesTheUniverse.com
Jessica Zafra podcast
Jessica Zafra podcasts, 2012-present
Interaksyon.com article
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zafra, Jessica
1965 births
Living people
Filipino women writers
Filipino columnists
Filipino women columnists