
Victor Manibo on Touching the Work Regularly
From Talking Writing by Martha Nichols, John Vogel, and Neva Talladen
November 17, 2025 · 1h 4m · Season 6 · Episode 4
About this episode
Victor Manibo discusses his drafting process for his novel The Sleepless and explores themes of hustle culture and Filipino heritage.
Victor Manibo, a 2022 Lambda Literary Emerging Voices Fellow, sits down with TW Community Manager Neva Talladen to discuss the drafting process for his 2022 science fiction novel, The Sleepless . Manibo and Talladen connect over their shared Filipino heritage and roots in New York, as they explore the rise of “hustle culture.” The Sleepless portrays a society where sleep is no longer necessary or even desired. Instead, young professionals like Jamie, the story’s main character and an aspiring journalist, spend endless hours working, driven by an insatiable pursuit of career advancement.
People in this episode
Host: Neva Talladen
Guest: Victor Manibo
Topics covered
- drafting process
- science fiction
- hustle culture
- Filipino heritage
- career advancement
Keywords
- Victor Manibo
- The Sleepless
- hustle culture
- science fiction
- Filipino heritage
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: The Sleepless
Places: New York
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