Edbert Darwin Casten is a product of several prestigious national writing workshops, including the Palihang LIRA (2019), Iligan National Writers Workshop (2020), and Amelia Lapeña-Bonifacio National Writers Workshop (2021).
He previously served as the Director for Communications of the BAON Collective (2018-2021) and as a Trustee for the Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika, at Anyo Inc., (LIRA Inc.) (2021-2024). He was one of the founding members of the Committee for the National Poetry Day in Quezon City, alongside renowned poets.
He was a recipient of the Gawad Artisan Tek for Poetry from the Technological University of the Philippines – Manila, the Jimmy Balacuit Award for Poetry from the Iligan National Writers Workshop, and was named the Poetry Champion at the Cognayan Poetry Slam 2024 of the LIKHAAN – UP Institute of Creative Writing.
His works have been featured in the books Lugaw ni Leni, Pink Parol, KKK, Kakampink, Pintanaga: Linya-Linya ng Pagsinta, Renderzine, and several editions of Santelmo: Liwanag sa Dilim, where he also serves as an editor, among others. He also translated the work featured in the Gawad Urian-nominated short film The Night is Drunk When We Suffer by RS Magtaan, which won Best Short Film at the Bakunawa Film Festival, Hundred Islands Film Festival, and the Kota Kinabalu Film Festival in Malaysia.
Currently, he is a consultant at Bente-Bente Zine, a movement which aims to make reading more affordable and accessible in the Philippines. His lectures have reached a broad audience of poetry writers and performers, from elementary students to those pursuing master’s degrees.
He is an Executive Committee representing Southern Luzon in the National Committee on Literary Arts of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Managing Director of Sierbosten, a small interdisciplinary publishing firm that promotes inclusivity, creative thinking, and social responsibility.