Award-winning writer Marra Lanot dies at 82

Filipina poet, essayist, and journalist Marra PL. Lanot has died at 82.

Lanot passed away on Sunday, August 16, following what her family described as a "prolonged hospital stay," as per a Rappler report. Her cause of death was not disclosed.

A writer in Filipino, English, and Spanish, Lanot built a distinguished career across poetry, essays, journalism, and the arts. Her work earned recognition from some of the country's major literary institutions, including the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, where she also served on the judging panel. 

She first received a Palanca recognition in 1967, when her poetry collection Sheaves of Things Burning won second prize in the poetry category. In 1980, she returned to the awards and took home first prize for essay for Deja Vu In America: Or, One of the Songs.

Her list of accolades also included a Catholic Mass Media Award and a Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas.

Lanot's literary portfolio included works written across her three languages. Among her published books were Passion and Compassion: Mga Tula sa Ingles at Pilipino (1981), Riding the Full Moon and Other Poems in Filipino and Spanish (2008), and Cadena de Amor: New and Selected Poems (2017) in English, Filipino, and Spanish.

Lanot also represented the Philippines at various literary festivals abroad, including poetry and literary gatherings in Kuala Lumpur, Melbourne, Hong Kong, and Oaxaca, where she shared her work and participated in discussions on literature.

Her connection to literature extended beyond her own writing. Lanot became a faculty member at the University of the Philippines Diliman, teaching subjects including literature, creative writing, and film.

She also worked with the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Movie and Television Rating and Classification Board.

“She will always be remembered for her kindness, generosity, and sheer love for life. If she loved you, you would know it for sure—she wasn’t the type to hide it,” read a statement from Lanot’s family.