MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine STAR, National Book Store and Shangr-La Hotels and Resorts bring to you the “Eat, Pray, Love” essay writing contest.
In Eat, Pray, Love, author Elizabeth Gilbert narrates her journey around the world, looking for solace after a difficult divorce. On her yearlong trip of recovery, she had three main destinations: Rome, for gastronomic pleasure an ashram outside of Mumbai for spiritual searching; and Bali for balancing.
The book was an international best-seller and was translated into over 30 languages with over seven million copies sold worldwide. Eat, Pray, Love became so popular that, in 2008, Time magazine named Elizabeth as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Her first book, a short story collection called Pilgrims, was a finalist for the Pen/Hemingway award. She wrote an article for GQ about her experiences in bartending on the Lower East Side, which eventually became the basis for the movie Coyote Ugly.
In 2002, Gilbert published The Last American Man, a finalist for both the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award. In January 2010, Viking-Penguin published her fifth book: Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace With Marriage.
The movie
The movie adaptation of the book stars Julia Roberts as Elizabeth Gilbert. It will also feature James Franco, Billy Crudup, Javier Bardem and Richard Jenkins. The film is directed by Ryan Murphy and will be released in the Philippines by Columbia Pictures Philippines on Oct 6.
How to join
• Write about your own “Eat,” “Pray,” or “Love” experience and get the chance to spend an invigorating weekend getaway at a Shangri-La Hotel!
• Entries will be divided into three categories: Eat, Pray, and Love.
• A participant may submit only one work per category. However, he or she may submit work in more than one category. Participants must indicate which category their entry falls under.
• All works must be submitted by individuals. Group work is not allowed. All submissions must be made online via contest@nationalbook-store.com.ph with the subject: EAT PRAY LOVE.
• Entries must include name, age, mobile no., and e-mail address.
• Submissions must be written in English and saved in the following formats: .doc or .pdf.
• Essays must not be longer than 700 words.
• Criteria for judging will be grammar and composition, 25 percent; relevance to the theme, 25 percent; and impact, 50 percent.
• Judges will come from National Book Store, Philippine Star, and Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts.
• Contest is ongoing and last submission is on Sept. 25. Winners will be announced in the first week of October.
Prizes
One grand prize winner will win a three-day, two-night stay in a Panorama Room for two inclusive of breakfast at Shangri-La Mactan Resort and Spa and P10,000 NBS GCs.
Three other prize winners will be chosen (one from each category: Eat, Pray, and Love) and will receive: EAT: Dinner for two at Red at Makati Shangri-La Hotel and P3,000 NBS GCs; PRAY: 60-minute treatment for two at CHI, The Spa of Edsa Shangri-La Hotel and P3,000 NBS GCs; LOVE: Overnightstay for two at the Traders Club Floor of Traders Hotel Manila and P3,000 NBS GCs.