GMA Brandtalk
Tracking
Archives
Filtered By: Lifestyle
Lifestyle
#Throwback2014: A busy year for literature in PHL
Contrary to popular belief, Philippine literature is alive and well, whether you subscribe to Palanca Award-winning works or Wattpad fiction. This year, in particular, marked what appears to be a turning point as far as Filipino readers and writers are concerned, from writers winning recognition abroad to foreign authors traveling to the archipelago to a boom in komiks print editions and so much more.
International awards, honors
Sophia Lee and Catherine Torres won the Grand Prize and Second Place respectively at this year's Scholastic Asian Book Awards, the ceremony for which was held in Singapore. The awards are a biennial search for Asian children's stories written in English.
Lee's story, "What Things Mean," revolves around Olive, a girl too similar to her missing father. To understand herself and her meaning in the world, she embarks on a quest and finds out that it is she who puts meaning into things and not the other way around.
Torres's story "Sula's Voyage" tells of vagabond child Sula's there-and-back-again: her flight to Mindoro to escape from a broken promise, and the trecherous journey back to save her friend and discover her origins.
Meanwhile, US-based Filipina author Luisa A. Igloria's poetry collection “Night Willow” won the 17th annual May Swenson Poetry Award. According to the press release, “Igloria is professor of creative writing and English and director of the MFA creative writing program at Old Dominion University.” Igloria's “The Saint of the Streets” also won a Gintong Aklat Award for Literature in English.
And finally, National Artist for Literature F. Sionil Jose, author of such seminal works as the Rosales Saga novels ("Po-on," "The Pretenders," "My Brother, My Executioner," "Mass" and "Tree") and more, got an amazing birthday gift last December 3—the rank of “Officier” (Officer) in France’s Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of Arts and Letters). Officier is the second of the order's three grades, with Chevalier (Knight) being the third and Commandeur (Commander) being the first. Jose garnered the Chevalier honor back in 2001.
Speculative fiction, foreign publishers
Avid readers of the Science Fiction, Horror, and Young Adult genres now have even more works to choose from with the release of two novels by two Filipino authors: “The Forever Watch” by David B. Ramirez and “The Girl from the Well” by Rin Chupeco.
“The Forever Watch” opens with protagonist and point of view character Hana Dempsey waking up from her Breeding Duty and the nine months of induced sleep this entails. She misses the son she will never know. Partly to distract herself from this and partly out of love, she joins her friend and some-time savior, detective Leon Barrens, in hunting down what could be a serial killer lurking in the deeps of the ships. But as one mystery after another reveals itself to them and begins unraveling, they realize almost too late that they are getting more than what they bargained for.
Copies of young adult novel “The Girl from the Well” have yet to reach Philippine shores, but Chupeco stated in an interview that they eventually will later in 2015, along with the sequel. Meanwhile, a summary: vengeful murdered ghost Okiku goes around freeing the spirits of other murder victims while going after their killers. When she meets Tark, a boy with a great evil writhing beneath his skin, she must free him as well, at the risk of his death and a confrontation with her painful past.
International awards, honors
Sophia Lee and Catherine Torres won the Grand Prize and Second Place respectively at this year's Scholastic Asian Book Awards, the ceremony for which was held in Singapore. The awards are a biennial search for Asian children's stories written in English.
Lee's story, "What Things Mean," revolves around Olive, a girl too similar to her missing father. To understand herself and her meaning in the world, she embarks on a quest and finds out that it is she who puts meaning into things and not the other way around.
Torres's story "Sula's Voyage" tells of vagabond child Sula's there-and-back-again: her flight to Mindoro to escape from a broken promise, and the trecherous journey back to save her friend and discover her origins.
Meanwhile, US-based Filipina author Luisa A. Igloria's poetry collection “Night Willow” won the 17th annual May Swenson Poetry Award. According to the press release, “Igloria is professor of creative writing and English and director of the MFA creative writing program at Old Dominion University.” Igloria's “The Saint of the Streets” also won a Gintong Aklat Award for Literature in English.
And finally, National Artist for Literature F. Sionil Jose, author of such seminal works as the Rosales Saga novels ("Po-on," "The Pretenders," "My Brother, My Executioner," "Mass" and "Tree") and more, got an amazing birthday gift last December 3—the rank of “Officier” (Officer) in France’s Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of Arts and Letters). Officier is the second of the order's three grades, with Chevalier (Knight) being the third and Commandeur (Commander) being the first. Jose garnered the Chevalier honor back in 2001.
Speculative fiction, foreign publishers
Avid readers of the Science Fiction, Horror, and Young Adult genres now have even more works to choose from with the release of two novels by two Filipino authors: “The Forever Watch” by David B. Ramirez and “The Girl from the Well” by Rin Chupeco.
“The Forever Watch” opens with protagonist and point of view character Hana Dempsey waking up from her Breeding Duty and the nine months of induced sleep this entails. She misses the son she will never know. Partly to distract herself from this and partly out of love, she joins her friend and some-time savior, detective Leon Barrens, in hunting down what could be a serial killer lurking in the deeps of the ships. But as one mystery after another reveals itself to them and begins unraveling, they realize almost too late that they are getting more than what they bargained for.
Copies of young adult novel “The Girl from the Well” have yet to reach Philippine shores, but Chupeco stated in an interview that they eventually will later in 2015, along with the sequel. Meanwhile, a summary: vengeful murdered ghost Okiku goes around freeing the spirits of other murder victims while going after their killers. When she meets Tark, a boy with a great evil writhing beneath his skin, she must free him as well, at the risk of his death and a confrontation with her painful past.
A collection of Eugenio's books and photos.
Mother of Philippine Folklore dies
In a blow to Philippine literature and culture, author and professor Damiana L. Eugenio, also known as the “Mother of Philippine Folkore,” passed away at the age of 94. She was bedridden since the year before.
Eugenio authored the seven-volume encyclopedia “Philippine Folk Literature” (“Anthology,” “Proverbs,” “Riddles,” “Epics,” “Myths,” “Folklore,” and “Legends”), which are some of publisher UP Press's all-time bestsellers. Her other works include: “Awit and Korido: A Study of Fifty Philippine Metrical Romances in Relation to Their Sources and Analogues” (1965) and “Philippine Proverb Lore” (1975).
At a copyright talk during World Book Day, Filipinas Copyright Licensing Society, Inc. (FILCOLS) Executive Director Alvin Buenaventura related how he and other society members were able to go to Eugenio's house and hand her her first-ever royalty check from her books. She was reportedly happy to receive it.
In a blow to Philippine literature and culture, author and professor Damiana L. Eugenio, also known as the “Mother of Philippine Folkore,” passed away at the age of 94. She was bedridden since the year before.
Eugenio authored the seven-volume encyclopedia “Philippine Folk Literature” (“Anthology,” “Proverbs,” “Riddles,” “Epics,” “Myths,” “Folklore,” and “Legends”), which are some of publisher UP Press's all-time bestsellers. Her other works include: “Awit and Korido: A Study of Fifty Philippine Metrical Romances in Relation to Their Sources and Analogues” (1965) and “Philippine Proverb Lore” (1975).
At a copyright talk during World Book Day, Filipinas Copyright Licensing Society, Inc. (FILCOLS) Executive Director Alvin Buenaventura related how he and other society members were able to go to Eugenio's house and hand her her first-ever royalty check from her books. She was reportedly happy to receive it.
Amy Tan was down-to-earth as she discussed her own writing. GMA News
Several int'l authors pay a visit
When Neil Gaiman came to the Philippines a few years back, the lines snaked across the malls. So while the Philippines is no stranger to famous international authors coming in, the event is pretty rare. This year saw four of them come to the archipelago: Mitch Albom, Amy Tan, Chang Rae Lee, and Lang Leav.
Mitch Albom, author of bestsellers “Tuesdays with Morrie” and “The Five People You Meet in Heaven,” arrived in the archipelago in March for a book tour promoting his newest work, “The First Phone Call from Heaven.” He stated that he has “felt a very close connection” with the Philippines ever since he got a deluge of letters stating that the name Tala (the little Filipino girl from “The Five People You Meet in Heaven”) meant “star.”
And speaking of deluges, Albom then headed to Yolanda-hit Tacloban after the book tour and donated so many books as well as funds to help rebuild 10 libraries destroyed by the super typhoon. He also promised to donate 40 boats to the city.
Self-publishing hit Lang Leav also paid the nation a visit, first in February to promote her latest poetry collection, “Love and Misadventure.” She also put a signed print of “Clown Girl” up for raffle to aid in rehabilitation efforts for Yolanda survivors. The writer, fashion designer, and multimedia artist returned to the Philippines earlier this month for another signing tour.
Amy Tan and Chang Rae Lee flew in by October's end for National Bookstore's 1st Philippine Literary Festival for interviews and signings. Tan talked about why she writes about mothers and daughters in a separate interview with GMA News Online and about race, representation, and wanting to come back to the Philippines in the future in an interview with Jessica Zafra conducted at the festival.
When Neil Gaiman came to the Philippines a few years back, the lines snaked across the malls. So while the Philippines is no stranger to famous international authors coming in, the event is pretty rare. This year saw four of them come to the archipelago: Mitch Albom, Amy Tan, Chang Rae Lee, and Lang Leav.
Mitch Albom, author of bestsellers “Tuesdays with Morrie” and “The Five People You Meet in Heaven,” arrived in the archipelago in March for a book tour promoting his newest work, “The First Phone Call from Heaven.” He stated that he has “felt a very close connection” with the Philippines ever since he got a deluge of letters stating that the name Tala (the little Filipino girl from “The Five People You Meet in Heaven”) meant “star.”
And speaking of deluges, Albom then headed to Yolanda-hit Tacloban after the book tour and donated so many books as well as funds to help rebuild 10 libraries destroyed by the super typhoon. He also promised to donate 40 boats to the city.
Self-publishing hit Lang Leav also paid the nation a visit, first in February to promote her latest poetry collection, “Love and Misadventure.” She also put a signed print of “Clown Girl” up for raffle to aid in rehabilitation efforts for Yolanda survivors. The writer, fashion designer, and multimedia artist returned to the Philippines earlier this month for another signing tour.
Amy Tan and Chang Rae Lee flew in by October's end for National Bookstore's 1st Philippine Literary Festival for interviews and signings. Tan talked about why she writes about mothers and daughters in a separate interview with GMA News Online and about race, representation, and wanting to come back to the Philippines in the future in an interview with Jessica Zafra conducted at the festival.
L to R: Moderator Dean Alfar, panelists Sophia Lee, Rin Chupeco, and Bebang Siy for the #WeNeedDiverseBooks panel at the 5th Philippine International Literary Festival. Vida Cruz
Festivals and fairs for writers and artists
Book lovers were not lacking in literary festivals in which to congregate, swap books, meet their favorite writers, attend talks, and discuss their favorite books with a book club.
World Book and Copyright Day in April stood out among other festivals in that there were talks devoted entirely to understanding copyright law, especially for writers and artists. FILCOLS also received Collective Management Accreditation from the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines on this day.
The annual Manila International Book Fair saw publishers both mainstream and just a little harder to find, awarding ceremonies, conferences on technology and teaching literature, book launches, and discussions on children's lit come together under one roof.
National Bookstore's first edition of the Philippine Literary Festival was notable in that stocked local books had discounted prices on top of talks about e-publishing, the writer's life, interviews with local and international big-name authors, and why libraries need to stock native speculative fiction. There was also a komikero exhibit, where Manix Abrera's second silent graphic novel “14” debuted.
The 5th Philippine International Literary Festival was actually an industry summit, as it brought together even publishers, editors, and literary agents from other Asian nations such as Singapore and Malaysia. The talks also included dialogues continuing those from World Book Day regarding contracts and legalities, the Philippines' impending integration with the ASEAN in 2015, and as such, why readers need diverse literature. Visprint also released several komiks titles during the last day of the festival.
The 5th PILF was capped off by the 10th Komikon, an event of chaotic fun for lovers of comics and art both local and foreign. Over 100 indie titles were being sold at the event, from Tepai Pascual's debut “Maktan 1521” to Noel Pascual and AJ Bernardo's “Crime Fighting Call Center Agents” to short komiks drawn by students from UP's graphic literature org.
And finally, at the annual Philippine PEN Conference earlier this month, local writers discussed politics and social justice, the hopelessness of popular media, and the state of regional literature.
How to locate your local library
In a startling triumph for libraries nationwide, the Department of Education in June launched a Library Locator Map on its website.
According to DepEd, almost 9,000 of the country's 9,855 registered public schools have been mapped, as well as the 188 library hubs in divisions nationwide. The library locator map is hosted by CartoDB.
Storybooks for indigenous children released
This year saw the release of storybooks for indigenous children aged 0 to 3 years old.
In South Cotabato and Sarangani province, three storybooks for indigenous children of the T'boli, Tagakaolo, and B'laan tribes—all written in their mother tongues—were launched. Developed by the First Read Project, in which adults and other authorities of each tribe got together and told each other stories and traditions passed down by their elders, the books aim to educate the next generation on each tribe's culture while simultaneously promoting literacy.
According to the group's press release, “'I Katagah Abuh' (Cooking Abuh) tells the story of an entire family preparing a delicacy, Abuh, known among Visayans as gabi, a rootcrop. To cook this viand, B'laans boil rolled green gabi leaves tied with gabi stalks, and spices such as ginger, lemon grass, tomato, kamias in a pot or bamboo. Cooking is usually done by the women, but other members of the family help in preparation.
“Kmô Ktool Lieg Mimet” (Making a Necklace) is a story of a T'boli mother teaching her little son and daughter how to make a “lieg mimet” or bead necklace, which is a distinctive ornament among T'bolis.
“Pangapog” is a Tagakaolo term for thanksgiving. The story summarizes the entire planting season from planting to harvesting, with family members working together and culminating in the family offering thanksgiving for a good harvest.”
About 1,000 copies of each book have been printed and distributed across the respective communities.
Popular literature
And finally, a slew of Wattpad novels were released throughout the year by Summit Media, proving not only that popular literature is a growing movement, but that young Pinoys are reading and writing. — BM, GMA News
Book lovers were not lacking in literary festivals in which to congregate, swap books, meet their favorite writers, attend talks, and discuss their favorite books with a book club.
World Book and Copyright Day in April stood out among other festivals in that there were talks devoted entirely to understanding copyright law, especially for writers and artists. FILCOLS also received Collective Management Accreditation from the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines on this day.
The annual Manila International Book Fair saw publishers both mainstream and just a little harder to find, awarding ceremonies, conferences on technology and teaching literature, book launches, and discussions on children's lit come together under one roof.
National Bookstore's first edition of the Philippine Literary Festival was notable in that stocked local books had discounted prices on top of talks about e-publishing, the writer's life, interviews with local and international big-name authors, and why libraries need to stock native speculative fiction. There was also a komikero exhibit, where Manix Abrera's second silent graphic novel “14” debuted.
The 5th Philippine International Literary Festival was actually an industry summit, as it brought together even publishers, editors, and literary agents from other Asian nations such as Singapore and Malaysia. The talks also included dialogues continuing those from World Book Day regarding contracts and legalities, the Philippines' impending integration with the ASEAN in 2015, and as such, why readers need diverse literature. Visprint also released several komiks titles during the last day of the festival.
The 5th PILF was capped off by the 10th Komikon, an event of chaotic fun for lovers of comics and art both local and foreign. Over 100 indie titles were being sold at the event, from Tepai Pascual's debut “Maktan 1521” to Noel Pascual and AJ Bernardo's “Crime Fighting Call Center Agents” to short komiks drawn by students from UP's graphic literature org.
And finally, at the annual Philippine PEN Conference earlier this month, local writers discussed politics and social justice, the hopelessness of popular media, and the state of regional literature.
How to locate your local library
In a startling triumph for libraries nationwide, the Department of Education in June launched a Library Locator Map on its website.
According to DepEd, almost 9,000 of the country's 9,855 registered public schools have been mapped, as well as the 188 library hubs in divisions nationwide. The library locator map is hosted by CartoDB.
Storybooks for indigenous children released
This year saw the release of storybooks for indigenous children aged 0 to 3 years old.
In South Cotabato and Sarangani province, three storybooks for indigenous children of the T'boli, Tagakaolo, and B'laan tribes—all written in their mother tongues—were launched. Developed by the First Read Project, in which adults and other authorities of each tribe got together and told each other stories and traditions passed down by their elders, the books aim to educate the next generation on each tribe's culture while simultaneously promoting literacy.
According to the group's press release, “'I Katagah Abuh' (Cooking Abuh) tells the story of an entire family preparing a delicacy, Abuh, known among Visayans as gabi, a rootcrop. To cook this viand, B'laans boil rolled green gabi leaves tied with gabi stalks, and spices such as ginger, lemon grass, tomato, kamias in a pot or bamboo. Cooking is usually done by the women, but other members of the family help in preparation.
“Kmô Ktool Lieg Mimet” (Making a Necklace) is a story of a T'boli mother teaching her little son and daughter how to make a “lieg mimet” or bead necklace, which is a distinctive ornament among T'bolis.
“Pangapog” is a Tagakaolo term for thanksgiving. The story summarizes the entire planting season from planting to harvesting, with family members working together and culminating in the family offering thanksgiving for a good harvest.”
About 1,000 copies of each book have been printed and distributed across the respective communities.
Popular literature
And finally, a slew of Wattpad novels were released throughout the year by Summit Media, proving not only that popular literature is a growing movement, but that young Pinoys are reading and writing. — BM, GMA News
