National Artist for Literature Francisco Sionil Jose will be the keynote speaker at the 41st anniversary and convention of GUMIL Filipinas (GF) on April 11-12, 2009 in Our Lady of the Angels Seminary, Bagbag, Novaliches, Quezon City.

Jose, himself an Ilocano from Rosales Pangasinan, is the author of the widely-read Rosales Saga (composed of five novels: Po-on; Tree; My Brother, My Executioner; The Pretenders; and Mass), and many other novels and short stories. He was presented with the Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Award for Journalism, Literature, and Creative Communication Arts in 1980, named National Artist for Literature in 2001, and in 2004, given the Pablo Neruda Centennial Award.

Joining Jose as lecturers during the convention are 1974 Ramon Magsaysay Journalism, Literature and Creative Communication Arts awardee Zac B. Sarian, associate editor of Agriculture Magazine; Dr. Paul Blanco Zafaralla, professor at the University of the Philippines-Los Ba�os; Dr. Abercio V. Rotor, 2008 national book awardee for his book Living with Nature Handbook; and Ron Bryant, an award-winning independent filmmaker.

The highlights of this year�s convention include the awarding of Dr. Aurelio S. Agcaoili, Elizabeth Raquel, Lorenzo Ilustre (deceased), and Marlene J. Tolentino, recipients of the 2009 Pedro Bucaneg, Leona Florentina, Pamulinawen, and Bannatiran awards, respectively; and of the winners in the 11th AMMA Foundation Literary Awards (AMMAFLA), 6th Reynald F. Antonio Awards for Iluko Literature (RFAAFIL), 5th Sta. Raffaella (Roma-Italia) Ilocano Community Literary Awards, and 11th Abuan-Valdez Awards for Iluko Literature (AVAIL).

Main activities during the convention are the workshops on short story writing to be moderated by Pedro Bucaneg, UMPIL, and ITI-NCCA-OPAC Outstanding Artist awardee Juan S.P. Hidalgo, Jr. and on poetry and bucanegan (poetic joust) to be moderated by former GF President Honor Blanco Cabie.

Held every April, the GUMIL national convention is instrumental in the declaration of the month of April as Iluko Literature Month by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in 2001 through Presidential Proclamation No. 26.

This year�s theme is: �Pluma: Mangtagiben Kannawidan, Mangsaluad Nakaparsuaan.�