Marra PL. Lanot, a poet and essayist who wrote in Filipino, English, and Spanish across poetry, essays, and journalism, died on Aug. 16 at the age of 82 after a prolonged hospital confinement, her family announced in a statement.

"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," the family said in honor of her memory.

Ms. Lanot's career brought her some of the country's most prestigious literary recognition. She received her first Carlos Palanca Memorial Award for Literature in 1967, when her poetry collection Sheaves of Things Burning won second prize. In 1980, she took first prize in the essay category with Deja Vu in America: Or, One of the Songs, and she would later serve on the competition's panel of judges.

Her body of work is recognized for its strong imagery, elegant use of language, and simplicity of theme, with subjects ranging from family and political activism to respect for nature and womanhood. Her published books include 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). Her multilingual practice also extended to translation, as she rendered poems from English and Filipino into Spanish, reflecting the wider cross-language reach of Philippine literature.

Born in Manila on March 17, 1944, Ms. Lanot represented the Philippines at various literary gatherings and poetry festivals abroad. She also served as a faculty member of the University of the Philippines Diliman's College of Arts and Letters, helping shape the next generation of writers and readers.

The Philippines Graphic magazine, where Ms. Lanot was literary editor for many years, mourned her passing in a Facebook post, describing her as "the driving force behind the Philippines Graphic Reader, the literary companion magazine of the Philippines Graphic."

Author Danton Remoto mourned her passing on social media, calling her "a positive force in the literary community," where many young writers saw her as an inspiration.

Among her many accolades are a Catholic Mass Media Award for her columns in Filipino and a Gawad Balagtas for poetry and essay in English, awarded in 2020.

She is survived by a family of writers, including her husband, Jose "Pete" Lacaba; their son, Kris Lanot Lacaba; and three grandchildren. — Brontë H. Lacsamana