About me

My latest blurb:

Victor Fernando R. Ocampo is the author of the International Rubery Book Award shortlisted The Infinite Library and Other Stories (Math Paper Press, 2017; Gaudy Boy, 2021; Vibal Publishing, 2025) and Here be Dragons (CANVAS Press, 2015), which won the Romeo Forbes Children’s Story Award in 2012. His play-by-email interactive fiction piece “The Book of Red Shadows” debuted at the Singapore Writers Festival in 2020.

His writing has appeared in many publications including Apex Magazine, அரூ: இதழ் (Aroo), Daily Science Fiction, Future Fiction, Likhaan Journal, Literary Hub, Strange Horizons, Philippines Graphic, 科幻世界 (Science Fiction World), and The Quarterly Literature Review of Singapore, as well as anthologies like The Best New Singapore Short Stories, Fish Eats Lion & Fish Eats Lion Redux: New Singaporean Speculative Fiction, LONTAR: The Journal of Southeast Asian Speculative Fiction, Maximum Volume: Best New Philippine Fiction, the Philippine Speculative Fiction series, and Mapping New Stars: A Sourcebook on Philippine Speculative Fiction.

He is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (US), a fellow of the Milford Science Fiction Writers’ Conference (UK), and the Cinemalaya Ricky Lee Film Scriptwriting Workshop (PH), as well as a Jalan Besar writer-in-residence at Sing Lit Station (SG).

Find me online at the following:

Selected Speaking Engagements

  1. “A Letter from your Future Self: A Time Capsule Workshop” – Lecturer/Workshop Facilitator – in association with Vertical Submarine and Our Tampines Hub, Aug 23 and 27, 2025 – a SWF 2025 event.
  2. ““Navigating Tomorrow’s Challenges: Threatcasting and other Futurecasting Methodologies” – Speaker, Adamson University Executive Education, 20 June, 2025.
  3. “Introduction to Futurecasting Methodologies for Business” – Lecturer, University of the Philippines School of Economics, 19 March, 2025.
  4. “Introduction to Microfiction” – Guest Lecturer – SingLit Station in association with the Migrant Writers of Singapore, 23 Feb, 2025.
  5. “From Cybertext to the Metaverse” – Guest Speaker for New Media artist Debbie Ding’s Virtual Reality Open Studio “The Psychogeographer’s Guide to Virtual Worlds” at the Goethe Institute, Singapore last 30 November, 2024.
  6. “Tech Talks: Exploring AI’s Impact on Literary Arts” – Moderator, Singapore Writers Festival, 09 November, 2024
  7. “How to Construct an Unforgettable World” Worldbuilding workshop – Guest Lecturer, Asia Creative Writing Programme, a joint initiative between the National Arts Council of Singapore and the School of Humanities at Nanyang Technological University. 02 November, 2024
  8. “Introduction to Future Casting” – Guest Lecturer, Singapore Management University, 03 October, 2024
  9. “𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐦: 𝐀 𝐃𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐅𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐀 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬“ – Panellist, Lian Connect and the British Science Fiction and Fantasy Association (London, United Kingdom), 22 September, 2024
  10. “Beyond Text: Imagining Future Tech in Stories” – Panellist, National Library Board (Singapore), 14 August 2024
  11. “Introduction to Writing Interactive Fiction” – Guest Lecturer, for the MOEs Creative Arts Program at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (Singapore), 30 May 2024
  12. “Cntrl+Alt+Delete Foresight Panel” – Panellist, Synergy: Art x Tech Fringe Festival (Singapore), 9 March 2024
  13. “Camp LIT: Adventure at SEA”, Guest Lecturer, SingLit Station in association with the Arts Science Museum (Singapore), 8 December 2023
  14. “subtext x SAM: Superlative Speculative”, Reader and Panellist, Singapore Art Museum, 1 December 2023
  15. “Young Punks: The Etymology of ‘Punk’ as Subgenre”, Panellist, Singapore Writers Festival, 26 November, 2023.
  16. “Found Families in Science Fiction”, Moderator, Singapore Writers Festival, 25 November, 2023.
  17. “Reading and Writing Asian Science Fiction”. Guest Lecturer, Singapore Book Council, 14 October 2023
  18. “Using Generative AI to Develop Manga” Workshop – Guest lecturer at Singapore Polytechnic’s AI Manga challenge, 25 September 2023
  19. “Call and Response“, Reader, 2023 Storytelling Festival, the Migrant Writers of Singapore, 30 July, 2023
  20. “The Uses of Storytelling” – Reader and Panellist at the 1st Singapore Independent Media Fair, 30 June 2023.
  21. “Introduction to Writing Interactive Fiction” – Guest Lecturer, for the MOEs Creative Arts Program at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (Singapore), 30 May 2023.
  22. “Writing Across Worlds: In Conversation with Victor Fernando R. Ocampo” – Guest Speaker – Birkbeck College, University for London’s Arts Week (UK), 29 April 2023
  23. “Paghasik ng Munting Katha” (Flash Fiction for Beginners) – Guest Lecturer – SingLit Station in association with the Migrant Writers of Singapore, 26 Feb and 26 Mar 2023
  24. “Roots & Refractions: Bridging MaKatha Traditions” – Guest Speaker – UST Faculty of Arts & Letters and the UST MaKatha Circle (Philippines), 27 Feb 2023
  25. “Celebrating Rizal Day with Penguin Randomhouse SEA Authors” – Moderator/Fireside chat host – Philippine Embassy Singapore, 30 December 2022.
  26. “Don’t Stop Me If You’ve heard This One Before” (Writing and Generative Text) – Moderator, Singapore Writers Festival, 20 Nov 2021
  27. “A Southeast Asian Map for the Science Fiction Future” – Moderator, Singapore Writers Festival, 19 Nov 2021
  28. “Just The World I’m Looking for: The Multiverse and Fiction” – Panellist, Singapore Writers Festival, 12 Nov 2021
  29. “Outside the Western Anglophone Hegemony” – Panellist, Connecting Flights panel at the SFWA’s Nebula Awards’ Conference (USA), 8 Oct 2022
  30. “Reading-Dialogue across the Sea between Get Luckier Sg/Phil writers”, Reader, Singapore Poetry Festival, 20 July 2022
  31. “The Gaudy Boy Reading + Mini-Panel on Publishing” – Reader, Panellist, Gaudy Boy at the Crane Club (Singapore), 14 July 2022
  32. “Hope and the Future in Philippine Speculative Fiction” – Guest Speaker, BCSC Asian American Heritage Series, Brown University (USA), 12 May 2022
  33. “Brick by Brick: Worldbuilding Future Cities” – Panellist, BOSKONE 59 (New England Science Fiction and Fantasy convention, USA), 19 Feb 2022
  34. “Speculative Fiction from Multi-lingual Authors” – Panellist, Reader BOSKONE 59 (New England Science Fiction and Fantasy convention, USA), 18 Feb 2022
  35. “Novel Writing Workshop” – Guest Lecturer, Yale-NUS Writing Centre (Singapore), 9 Oct 2021
  36. “Man Vs Machine” – Panellist, Singapore Writers Festival, 03 Oct 2021
  37. “Time is an Illusion Alternatives to the Gregorian Calendar”- Moderator, BonFiyah Con (USA), 18 Sep 2021
  38. Occultism and Esoterica for Writers”- Panellist, BonFiyah Con (USA), 18 Sep 2021
  39. “Posthumous Post-Humanity: What’s Beyond The Human Species?” – Panellist, Future-Con (Brazil), 04 Sep 2021
  40. “Future South & East Asia: What Future is Taking Shape in India, Pakistan, Philippines?” – Moderator, Future-Con (Brazil), 17 Sep 2020
  41. “The Roots of Singapore Speculative Fiction” – Guest Lecturer, Jalan Besar Lecture Series Singapore Literature Station, 30 Apr 2021
  42. “Embracing the Weird: Writing Speculative Fiction” workshop for secondary school students run by the Singapore Book Academy – Guest Lecturer, Singapore Book Council, 17 Dec 2020
  43. “Future Currents: Philippines and Singapore” – Panellist, Future-Con (Brazil), 29 Nov 2020
  44. “Running a Genre Magazine” – Panellist, BonFiyah Con (USA), 16 Sep 2020
  45. “Should I Italicise that?” – Panellist, BonFiyah Con (USA), 16 Sep 2020
  46. “Other Futures: An Introduction to Asian Science Fiction” – Guest Lecturer, Other Futures (Netherlands), 11 April 2020
  47. “Dreaming of Stranger Futures” – Panellist, #BuySingLit Festival, Singapore Book Council, 11 Mar 2020
  48. “Our Continuing Fascination with Dystopia” – Guest Lecturer, 2219: Futures Imagined, Singapore Arts Science Museum, 05 Dec 2019
  49. “Conversations: Is Science the New Religion?” – Moderator, Singapore Writers Festival, 09 Nov 2019
  50. “Conversations: Ruling the Galaxy?” – Panellist, Singapore Writers Festival, 09 Nov 2019
  51. “Predicting The Future with Science Fiction” – Speaker, Read! Fest 2019, Singapore Book Council, 21 May 2019
  52. “Words In Progress: Yale-NUS Manuscript Intensive Weekend 2019” – Guest Lecturer, Yale-NUS Writing Centre (Singapore) with the INK: Literary Collective, 08-10 Mar 2019
  53. “Ad Astra Per Verba: Writing your First Science Fiction Story” – Guest Lecturer, Open: Singapore Young Writers Lab, Singapore Book Council, 02 Mar 2019
  54. “Chicken Rice and Adobo: What We Love about the Philippines and Singapore”– Panellist/Reader, Singapore Writers Festival, 11 Nov 2018
  55. “Speculative Fiction as Moral Compass”– Panellist, Singapore Writers Festival, 10 Nov 2018
  56. “LONTAR Retrospective” – Panellist/Reader, Singapore Writers Festival, Singapore Writers Festival, 08 Nov 2018
  57. “Classroom Series: The Influence of Science Fiction in Modern Science” – Guest Speaker, Singapore Writers Festival, 05 Nov 2018
  58. The Familiar And The Alien” – Moderator, Singapore Writers Festival, 04 Nov 2018 – Panellist, Singapore Writers Festival, 05 Nov 2018
  59. “Writing Flash Fiction” – Guest Lecturer, BooksActually Seminar Series (Singapore), 22 Dec 2017 – Panellist, Singapore Writers Festival, 05 Nov 2017
  60. “Breakout: A Gala Reading” – Speaker/Reader, Singapore Writers Festival, 03 Nov 2018
  61. “A Brave New World: Speculative Fiction in Singapore” – Panellist, Singapore Writers Festival, 06 Nov 2017
  62. The Real Science in Science Fiction” – Panellist, Singapore Writers Festival, 05 Nov 2018
  63. “Dune: A Science Fiction Art Showcase” – Panellist, Kult Kafe, 2 Dec 2017
  64. “Surreal Worlds of Southeast Asia” – Panellist, WorldCon 75 (World Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention, Finland) 11 Aug 2017
  65. “Your Mythology is much like my Mythology.” – Panellist, WorldCon 75 (World Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention, Finland), 10 Aug 2017
  66. “Saving the World. All of It.” – Panellist, LonCon 3(World Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention, UK), 16 Aug 2014
  67. “The World at WorldCon: SF/F in South and South-East Asia” – Panellist LonCon 3 (World Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention, UK), 16 Aug 2014

26 thoughts on “About me”

  1. Victor I would like to thank you for educating me on my late grandfathers work, Nemesio E Caravana. I have not had the privileged to meet my mother’s family in the Philippines, however my late mother, Liwanag, has told me many stories about her father and family. Thank you for keeping Nemesio’s legend alive.

    1. It was my pleasure! I am always on the look out for a complete copy of his serial “Ang Puso ni Matilde” and his other stories. He did such fantastic work. Cheers!

      1. Hope do I contact you? My mother was his first daughter, Liwanag…best friend Carol Varga. ❤

  2. Good morning, Mr. Ocampo! 😀 May I ask to interview you on the topic of science fiction in the philippines? It would be very nice to interview you online 😀 thank you Mr. Ocampo!

  5. hi uncle. this is deeksha. i read the book it was really nice. i actually wanted to know how you got the idea for that storyline?

  7. Good Afternoon Sir VR,

    I am Jett Ilagan a visual artist and a composer from Sta.Rosa, Laguna.
    Few months ago I started a musical project where in I collaborated with foreign musicians to come up with my EP entitled ORBIT 21 which is based on Jose Ma Espino’s Novel. In the process, I paired up with electronic artists from Canada, UK, Korea, etc to interpret some short stories in the compilation.

    We are already in the final stage of the production, but I felt like there’s a missing piece: I have no idea who Jose Ma Espino was, the only clue I have is the short description of him in the book. I browsed the internet and search for any possible answer but sadly nothing comes up. Then I stumbled upon your blog about early Filipino short stories, and I’m wondering maybe you have any idea about his early life. I would really love to know him or his family and maybe let them hear the project that we did.

    I hope you can enlighten me about this great author.
    -Jett Ilagan

    1. I am sorry to see this only now. I had nor been blogging for a while. If you are still interested please contact me via vrocampo at gmail.com I may be able to point you to someone who can help,

  8. Hey Victor,

    My name is Fin and I’m writing you on behalf of Steve Young, who is currently in the process of writing some science fiction. I recommended you to him, after stumbling across your various creative fiction online. He also lives in the Philippines and desires some assistance in the writing and editing of his own sci-fi fiction. I know this is a passion of yours and would appreciate if you could give me some advice about if Steve might be able to work with you on his writing, or if you have any suggestions for his search into Filipino Sci-Fi writers who could help him with this work. Thanks Victor! Hope to hear from you.

  9. good evening Mr. Ocampo, may I interview you regarding to your work entitled “The Old Blue Notebook”…. advance thank you po 🙂 I am looking forward to your respond.

  10. Dear Mr. Ocampo,

    May I ask if you are connected to the Victor Ocampo to whom Borges dedicated his story Garden of the Forking Paths? I see that you list him as someone who influenced you, but I’m don’t know if you are old enough to have been his contemporary. I also know that he knew Victoria Ocampo. Perhaps you are connected?

    If you find me too nosy, I apologize. But “Garden” is one of my favorite stories and I’ve always wondered who the dedicatee was.

    Thank you,
    Susan Glosser

      1. Dear Victor,
        Thank you for replying. Is Victor then Victoria Ocampo?

        I live in Portland Oregon, US, and would love to read your books, but I’m having a hard time finding copies either on line or in our books stores? Can you tell please tell me where I can purchase them? Thank you.

        Susan

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