For the first time, the Philippines is sending books to the London Book Fair (LBF) set for April 5 to 7 at Olympia London exhibition center in Kensington, the National Book Development Board (NBDB) announced recently.
Fifty-two books by Filipino authors will be featured at the fair, which will be attended by international publishers and producers in the film, TV, music, and theater industries looking for fresh content for adaptation.
The NBDB is “pushing for Philippine books as competitive export products in the global marketplace of ideas,” said NBDB Project Development Officer Sofia Dearos.
“We want our graphic literature, YA [young adult] novels, children’s books, horror stories, and contemporary fiction works to be picked up by international distributors in the same way that Trese [graphic novel] made it to Netflix.
“It’s about time for Pinoy stories to boom and reach a boundless audience.”
As the government’s lead agency in the research and development of books, the NBDB will showcase a wide variety of Philippine works, among them Yvette Tan’s Waking the Dead, an iconic collection of horror short stories; Mia Tijam’s Flowers for Thursday, speculative fiction short stories; Virginia Villanueva’s Tales from the Southern Kingdom, a collection of legends, folklore, and children’s stories of the Sama and Tausug people; and Tingle: An Anthology of Pinay Lesbian Writing, edited by Jhoanna Lynn Cruz.
Attending the fair to engage with publishers and literary agents are NBDB Executive Director Charisse Aquino-Tugade, NBDB Project Lead of the National Book Database Kevin Ansel Dy, and Komiket founder Paolo Herras.
“We are thrilled to finally travel and meet with international publishers. The world deserves our stories and the London Book Fair opens a great opportunity for the works of our authors, illustrators, and publishers to gain a wider audience. This fair is the best place to start,” Tugade said.
Komiks publisher Paolo Herras added, “Filipino comics is one of the most underrepresented and exploited genres. We’re not studied in colleges or universities, we’re not found in the K-12 curriculum, national writer’s workshops, or most national awards.
“But we are already crossing territories, getting picked up by international publishers around the world, and venturing forth into live-action films, animation, content platforms, video games, toys, and other merchandise. So we’re mighty proud to be representing the Philippines at the London Book Fair. It’s about time.”
In addition, the Philippine Embassy in London will host lectures by Tugade (on decolonizing the Philippine reading landscape), Herras (Philippine graphic literature), and Dy (UK-PH relations as seen through the medium of the book) on April 8.
The Filipino community in the United Kingdom supports the Philippine’s participation in the LBF. Acclaimed Filipino writers based in the UK such as Candy Gourlay (author of the award-winning Tall Story) will be visiting the Philippine stand.
We wish the Philippine contingent all the best as they share Philippine stories with the world.
* * * After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature (CPMA), the longest-running literary contest in the country, is once more back on track and accepting entries for its 70th edition.
“We know that the past two years have been very challenging for everyone because of the pandemic,” said CPMA official spokesperson Bernardita Ben, administrative manager.
“As we slowly get back on track and ease into the new normal, we believe the time is ripe to, once again, promote and celebrate Philippine literature and honor our literary artists.”
The CPMA is now accepting submissions to its regular categories as follows:
• Novel and Nobela categories;
• English Division – Short Story, Short Story for Children, Essay, Poetry, Poetry Written for Children, One-act Play, and Full-length Play;
• Filipino Division – Maikling Kuwento, Maikling Kuwentong Pambata, Sanaysay, Tula, Tulang Para sa mga Bata, Dulang May Isang Yugto, Dulang Ganap ang Haba, and Dulang Pampelikula;
• Regional Languages Division – Short Story-Cebuano, Short Story-Hiligaynon, and Short Story-Ilokano;
• Kabataan Division for young writers below 18 years of age: English and Filipino informal (personal) essays on the theme: “Life in the Midst of the Pandemic and Coping in the New Normal” (Kabataan Essay) and “Buhay sa Gitna ng Pandemya at Pagharap sa ‘New Normal’” (Kabataan Sanaysay).
The contest is open to all Filipino citizens or former Filipino citizens of all ages except current directors, officers, and employees of the Carlos Palanca Foundation, Inc. Contestants may submit only one entry per category. The deadline for submission of entries is on May 31.
All submissions are to be done online; printed and email submissions will not be accepted. The official contest rules and forms are available at the Carlos Palanca Awards website: http://www.palancaawards.com.ph/.
For inquiries, email [email protected] or call (632) 8843-8277 / (632) 8478-7996. Ask for Ms. Leslie Layoso or Ms. Susan Castillo.
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