What inspired Atom Araullo to write his first book 'A View From The Ground?' Kapuso journalist answers

Atom Araullo has officially launched his first book titled "A View From The Ground," which took him eight years to complete.

But what inspired Atom to finally publish his work after almost a decade? According to the award-winning Kapuso journalist, the motivation came from years of emotional toll and depth of experience that come with covering human stories.

"Isa itong paraan para ma-capture 'yung napakaraming emotions na nararamdaman natin bilang mga mamamahayag habang gumagawa tayo ng mga kwento na tingin ko marami pang puwedeng i-share at kailangan pang mag-amplify 'yung karanasan at boses ng mga kababayan nating nasa laylayan," he told GMA News Online during his book launching at the Manila International Book Fair on Sunday.

"So, binuo namin itong libro nito para ikuwento pa sa iba," Atom added.

Atom admitted that writing a book was something he never imagined doing. He also said that he hopes that his book will make the reader connect to people they often forget.

"I never thought that I would ever write a book and I'm so humbled to be here and to be with more people who really appreciate the written word," Atom said.

"I hope that you read with care and intention. And I hope it makes you connect deeper with the people that you often forget," he added.

"A View from the Ground" is Atom's first collection of narrative journalism and contains photos he took himself. According to UP Press, it is "focused on people living in the margins of society."

Apart from being an award-winning journalist, Atom is also a Palanca award-winning writer, having won the first prize in the Essay Category in 2022 for his essay "Letter from Tawi-Tawi," which was first published on GMA News Online. —MGP, GMA Integrated News