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I n all corners of the world, the Filipino has become ubiquitous through cuisine, social media, film, and fashion. Our omnipresence, however, does not seem to extend into
the domain of world literature, where but a handful of Filipino writers are known to the global reading audience despite our abundance of publications. This invisibility is, perhaps, a transience owed to determinant forces that make our literature unassailable to the traditional labels of the book publishing industry. All at once, Philippine literature seems to occupy and escape the recognizable genres of Latin American, East Asian, or even “tropical” literature. We are difficult to read because readers cannot seem to pin down what really makes up Philippine literature.
The je ne sais quoi of Philippine literature, that thing that makes it so difficult to market to an international audience, is also its greatest strength. We are always seeking to be defined by global standards, but maybe, that is the trait of our literature and Filipino writers in general: to always resist, and to be in constant motion. For Philippine literature is not indigenous to Philippine soil – it is a plurality of experiences that cannot be contained to one geographic location. The Filipino writer is a global citizen; s/he is a
literary interloper, a viajero of established tropes.
For the past few years, the National Book Development Board has invested time and effort in introducing Filipino titles to audiences abroad. We traveled Asia and Europe to scope out the trade opportunities for our publishers. The good news is that markets in the ASEAN and much farther out are interested in doing business with Filipino publishers. The recent success of F.H. Batacan, Sophia Lee, Catherine Torres, Candy Gourlay, and Kerby Rosanes should put your doubts to rest. The West is no longer the stronghold of book publishing; Asia is taking the book market by storm, and the Philippines is right at the center.
This volume of Bookwatch deftly gives us an idea of the burgeoning prospects of the Philippine publishing industry: “Outside America: Overseas Filipino Writers Mark New Territory” by writer Pearlsha Abubakar; “The Pinoy Abroad” featuring writer, literary agent and former NBDB Executive Director Andrea Pasion-Flores; and “Going Global” a survey of writings by Filipino authors being published internationally. These pieces illustrate just how far-reaching Filipino writers and Philippine book titles have become in recent years.
For the uninitiated, foreign readers of Bookwatch: Mabuhay and welcome to the world of Philippine literature. Please take this as an invitation to discover the curiosity that is Philippine literature. For our loyal followers: thank you for your support of NBDB’s
initiatives. We hope you continue to support all Philippine-produced book titles.
T h i s i s s u e ’ s e d i T o r
Libay L in san gan Can to r i s a p u b l i s h e d
f i c t i o n / n o n f i c t i o n a u t h o r a n d c u l t u r a l
j o u r n a l i s t , m e d i a l i t e r a c y l e c t u r e r, a d v o c a c y
f i l m m a ke r, a n d g e n d e r r i g h t s t r a i n e r. A B A
Fi l m a n d M A C r e a t i v e Wr i t i n g g r a d u a t e f r o m
t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s D i l i m a n , s h e
i s a t w o - t i m e Pa l a n c a a w a r d e e a n d a f o r m e r
d i r e c t o r - s c r i p t w r i t e r o f c h i l d r e n ’s e d u c a t i o n a l
T V p r o g r a m s . Yo u c a n e - m a i l h e r a t
l i b a y. c a n t o r @ g m a i l . c o m .
T h i s i s s u e ’ sc o n T r i b u T o r s
Pearlsha Abubakar has a degree in Journalism
from the University of the Philippines Diliman’s
College of Mass Communication and is also a
musical scorer for TV and film. She performs
now and then under her stage name Isha. She
is married to filmmaker Robert Quebral, with
whom she has two children. You can e-mail her at
Richard Ramos is a veteran content manager
and creator with online and tradit ional
publicat ion experience. He is , by turns, a
social media observer, amateur musician, and
toy enthusiast . He is also a big fan of science
f ict ion stories and comic books. You can e-mail
him at r ichard. leo.ramos@gmail .com.
T h i si s s u e ’ sl ay o u T a r T i s T
Mariel Sandico is a multimedia arts practitioner
and associate lecturer from Mapua Institute of
Technology. She manages Layag Pilipinas, a
nomadic artist collective for youth empowerment
through arts education. You can e-mail her at
NBDB Governing Board
FLoR MARie StA. RoM A NA - CRuzChair
Atty. NePoMuCeNo A. MALALuANA s s i s t a n t S e c r e t a r y a n d C h i e f o f S t a f fdeparTmenT of educaTion
CeFeRiNo S. RoDoLFoUndersecretary for Industry Development Groupd e pa rT m e n T o f T r a d e a n d i n d u sT r y
FeLiPe M. De LeoN, JR.ChairmannaTional commission for culTure and The arTs
RoweNA CRiStiNA L. GuevARAOIC, Office of the Undersecretary for Research and DevelopmentdeparTmenT of science and Technology
RuPeRto S. SANGALANGCommissionercommission on higher educaTion
ANi RoSA S. ALMARioVice Presidentadarna house, inc.
MARiA KARiNA A. BoLASCoDirectoraTeneo de manila universiTy press
DR. iSAGANi R. CRuzFoundermanila criTics circle
RueL S. De veRAJournalistphilippine daily inquirer
ALFReDo C. RAMoSChairman and PresidentnaTional book sTore, inc.
ABOUT THE
National Book Development Board
v i s i o nThe National Book Development Board is the leading catalyst for building a culture of reading and authorship as well as an environment for the growth of the book publishing industry towards making it globally competitive.
m i s s i o n• Promote investments in the book industry• Develop an environment conducive for the growth of the book publishing industry• Enhance market growth of the book industry by promoting lifelong learning through reading
BooKwAtCh is the official publication of the National Book Development Board. It is not for
sale. All rights reserved. No article or visual material may be reproduced or altered without
permission from the authors and artists. NBDB retains the sole printing rights of the journal.
However, the journal may be freely copied digitally and shared. Copyright of the commissioned
and solicited articles and visuals are owned by the NBDB until publication, whereupon copyright
reverts back to the authors and artists.
For inquiries please call (63) (02) 570-6198 or (63) (02) 697-1804
M E S S A G E F R O M T H E C H A I R
F Lo R M A R i e S t A . R o M A N A - C R u zChair
http://www.booksphilippines.gov.ph
Unit 2401Prestige Tower F. Ortigas Jr. Road(formerly Emerald Ave.),Ortigas Center, Pasig City 1605, Philippines
VOL. 20 NO.3 2016
Recently Released and Upcoming Titles
NBDB and BDAP launch Publishing Course Series
Frankfurt Book Fair NBDB Translation Subsidy Program
NBDB and BDAP hosts Rights Exchange Forum
NBDB and MCC announce National Book Awards Finalists
Outside America, Overseas Filipino Writers
Mark New Territory
c o n t e n t sF E A T U R E S
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N OT E S F R O M T H E E D I T O R This issue of Bookwatch is published as a platform for
international audiences to take a peek at the world of Filipino
writings and publications coming out of the country and out of
other countries as well.
Carrying the theme “The Global Filipino as a Writer and a
Reader,” we conversed with various Filipino writers and writers
with Filipino heritage who have been published outside of the
Philippines. Regardless if they are based in the country or if
they now call another country as their home, their Filipino heart
and their diasporic musings are still very much reflected in the
literature they produce. They write for many audiences, and they
address cross-cultural issues. Hear their thoughts as they ponder
on their realities.
The Philippines is also not new to being recognized internationally.
Filipino writers have been awarded in international competitions
and festivals. We also conversed with writers who have garnered
such honors for their work.
We hope that this issue, as it reaches the shores of the Frankfurt
Book Fair in Germany this year, would help global audiences get
to know Filipino writers who are — or who have been — paving the
way for Filipino content and Filipino literature to be read around
the world. Read about their publication journeys, what they think
of literary agents, how they deal with publishing houses, and how
they evaluate markets of readership. Do these issues inform their
creative process? Find out from their stories.
Turn the page, and learn about what we have been writing, and
what we will come up with next.
Happy reading!
P.S. The editor welcomes comments, suggestions and
queries. Please e-mail her at [email protected].
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13Pinoy Abroad:Perseverance and
Publication
Anthologizing the Filipinoexperience in America
Alvin Juban:Insights about the
Online Publishing World
Global Visitor:Martin Vopĕnka - The Storyteller &
His Mountains
Going Global: Local Writers,International Publications,World Audiences
help me bridge Philippine and South African literature – exchanging myths and legends as well as more contemporary works.
BW: Do you know of any other Filipino writers who have lived and published there in the past?
No. I think I’m the first. There were, however, legendary Filipino fishermen who settled in Kalk Bay and St. James at the turn of the 20th century and established the first fishing village here in Cape Town. I’d like to research and write about them one day, among so many other projects that are circling my mind.
BW: Have you had the opportunity to meet members of the South African literary community? What are their curiosities about the Filipino writer, and yours about the South African writer?
Winning third prize at the Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Award twice in a row allowed me to travel to Johannesburg and Durban these past two years where I met quite a few writers. In my first 10 years here, although we lived in the vicinity of the University of Cape Town and other institutions that hosted literary events,
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Bookwatch Vol. 20 No. 3Bookwatch Vol. 20 No. 3
Most Filipino writers who write in English have a deep affinity with American culture and the
English language; more than 50 years of American occupation by education has made it so. But there are at least a handful of writers currently working outside this comfort zone – in this case, the non-American, non-English-speaking world – by force of circumstance, design, or both.
The Middle East with its mysterious, expansive landscapes and guttural languages is currently home to at least two of our writers. The poet Neal Imperial, who published a book in 2012, happens to be our new ambassador to Israel. Meanwhile in Riyadh, 16-year old Nigel Willem Canlapan has three books to his name, all published by his father Gerico, who also runs a successful photography business. Migrant worker Yuri Cipriano has published a book of poems about the plight of fellow expats in his adopted home Dubai. Imperial and Cipriano write with a pronounced activist strain, while Canlapan enlists his knowledge of today’s new media and graphic art in his books.
In Scandinavia, fictionist Lakambini Sitoy teaches high-level English to Danish students. Elsewhere in Europe, diplomat and Scholastic Asian Book Award winner Catherine Torres lives in Berlin, among art and music she admires. And in Africa, Jim Pascual Agustin enjoys the singular distinction of being the only Filipino poet writing and publishing literary works in the continent today.
Bookwatch chatted with some of these amazing writers via e-mail. Here are their thoughts.
JIM PASCUAL AGUSTIN, poet based in Cape Town, South Africa
BW: You have mentioned in your blog that words to you are your atmosphere, the very air you breathe. Can you recall a time in your life when you have not been able to write?
Writing saved me from a lonely life. Youth, that time when chemicals and ideas course through your body and mind like beasts seemingly intent on both creation and self-destruction, was not easy for me, although I did a good job on the surface by trying to look invisible. The late Fr. James O’Brien, SJ, aside from aiding me to enter an exclusive school through his Tulong-Dunong Program, helped me enjoy literature. But I never thought I’d consider writing until my senior high school teacher, Mike Gomez, encouraged me to read a “poem” in front of the class – a piece I’m glad to have lost and forgotten.
When I got to university I just started writing like I’d die if I didn’t. Most of it was rubbish until Danton Remoto took over our English class mid-freshman year and became my first real mentor. He was patient and friendly while being brutally honest at the same time. I’d write and submit poems to each and every local newspaper, magazine, journal – and the first ones to publish and pay me for my writing outside of the campus were Jingle Magazine and Ani. My studies came secondary to my writing, which isn’t good if you’re a financial scholar. I also nearly failed to graduate (you can read about that story in my notes to Sanga sa Basang Lupa). March 31, 1990 was graduation day, also my birthday. I was glad no one knew or remembered since I didn’t want any attention. I was looking forward to the next day when I would join the University of the Philippines Creative Writing Workshop in Diliman. I met so many kind and challenging people there, including Bienvenido Lumbera whose guidance and generosity I shall treasure to the day I die.
Poet Jim Pascual Agustin and his two previously published collections by the University of Santo Tomas Publishing House entitled A Thousand Eyes and Sound Before Water.
When I started working, it became trickier finding time to write. I found myself writing more while stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic in sweaty jeepneys, during lunch breaks, in between teaching classes, or just before I fall asleep. Tired or cramped, it didn’t matter. I wrote something each day, or tried to.
In all my writing life, I can however say that I find it most difficult to force myself to write whenever I’m too sad or too happy. I write furiously when I’m agitated – and need to tell myself not to let anyone else read that output until I’ve calmed down and I, myself, had a cold-blooded look at it later.
Much later though, having twins nearly wiped out all my energy to write.
BW: From the Philippines to South Africa – how did it happen? Please walk us through this great adventure.
The quick answer would be because of a girl I met on holiday in the mountainous regions [north of the] Philippines. When I flew to South Africa on October 22, 1994 (my first time out of the country), I only meant to visit, to see her again. I always feel like a time traveler each time I try to explain how I ended up practically
Outside AmericA Overseas FilipinO Writers
Mark neW territOry
BY PEARLSHA ABUBAKAR
halfway around the planet from where my feet first touched ground. I go backwards and forwards, sometimes I get a clearer view, while at other times the weight of regret muddles the present, darkens the future. I knew close to nothing about the country before arriving, just Hollywood-manufactured images and whatever I gathered from books by JM Coetzee, Nadine Gordimer, Christopher Hope, and Dennis Brutus. The heart has its own logic, its own manner of making you do unexpected things.
BW: You moved to South Africa in 1994. Do you speak Afrikaans now? Have you considered publishing your poetry (or having it translated) in Afrikaans? Why or why not?
Afrikaans and English are only two of the 11 official languages in South Africa; the others are Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu. Along with the idea that my skin color would help me to easily fit in, I was made to think that I didn’t need to learn Afrikaans because Capetonians largely used English. I should have.
I’m hoping to one day connect with authors and translators who could
Filipino writers currently based in the Middle East, Europe, and even Africa still find
time to write about the homeland and their experiences in the land they now inhabit.
Meet some of these highly creative breed of OFWs — overseas Filipino writers.
into a book-exchange corner in Prenzlauerberg.
BW: You entered your manuscript for Sula’s Voyage twice at the SABA (Scholastic Asian Book Award). Did you make any revisions or updates to the manuscript when you entered it again?
My first entry to SABA was a different manuscript. It was called The Banyan and the Birdcage and was a patchwork of story ideas that didn’t quite really come together. I’ve since developed some of those story ideas into full-fledged stories, such as “The Banyan,” which appeared in Kuwento: Lost Things, An Anthology of Contemporary Filipino Myths published in the United States,
and “The Ragpicker’s Son,” a short story for children, which placed in the Palancas in 2014.
BW: You say you have no time to write. But what was it that compelled or compels you to write anyway?
It’s not so much having no time to write, but rather, having to give up other things to be able to write. For instance, I have a looong backlist of
books to read and a looong bucket list of places to visit. As a diplomat and a mom to an eight-year-old, my six o’ clock in the morning to seven or eight o’clock at night on Mondays to Fridays are basically committed, and it takes superhuman effort to spend the couple of hours I have free after that sitting before a blank page to write instead of just lolling in bed with a good book. What compels me to try, nonetheless? An impulse to create and a need to make sense of certain things. On the page, at least, the writer can be omniscient and banish disorder.
As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, it helps keep me sane.
BW: How is your creative process like? Do you do research first before sitting down to write, or do you do your research as you are writing?
It depends on what I’m writing. For the short stories in Mariposa Gang, most of them were inspired either by real-life encounters with other people or by images or stories seen in newspapers and magazines. From there, the focus was on fleshing out the narrative using the best possible language, so little
CAtHerine torreS, fictionist currently based in Berlin, Germany
BW: How has life been after the publication of Sula’s Voyage (winner of the Scholastic Asian Book Award)?
Immediately after the book’s release, things were a bit busier than usual as we worked on promoting the book. I flew to Singapore for the launch, opened a Goodreads page, and became intimately acquainted with my neighborhood post office. Because the book is mainly available in Asia and I wanted to reach a wider readership, I licked a lot of stamps and mailed out copies of the books to friends and book bloggers elsewhere, from Calgary to Nairobi, Tel Aviv to California. Now, more than three months on, things are more or less back to normal, except for an additional line about the book’s publication in my “About the Author” sketch.
BW: is it available in brick-and-mortar bookstores in Singapore? How about Berlin?
Yes, the book is available in Kinokuniya, Books Actually, and Littered With Books in Singapore. They also have it in Kinokuniya in Malaysia, and a friend recently spotted it in Kelly & Walsh in Hong Kong. As for Berlin, it’s not yet available here, although there is at least one copy floating around—I left one at the Bucherwald (“book forest”), some fallen tree trunks repurposed
I struggled to find the time or energy to look for literary connections, or to even write. It took me a long time to find my feet, although I seem to have managed well on the surface. Where we now live is a good long drive (35+ kilometers away), but, having finally gotten published in local journals and anthologies, recently I’ve been invited to read at events a number of times.
The writers I’ve met here had little idea of Philippine literature. I do know that years ago, there were literary ties made when South African writer Peter Horn came to Manila. I’ve felt nothing but a genuine openness—they take me as a person and not as a curiosity. In my last two readings, though, there was considerable interest in the Philippines because of the notorious acts and
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Bookwatch Vol. 20 No. 3 Bookwatch Vol. 20 No. 3
It’s amazing that Scholastic published two Pinoys this year. I think it shows that Filipino writers are readier
than ever to take on a bigger audience if they are given the opportunity.
- Catherine Torres
“ “
I’m hoping to one day connect with authors and translators who could help me bridge Philippine and
South African literature – exchanging myths and legends as well as more contemporary works.
- Jim Pascual Agustin
“ “ Fictionist Catherine Torres, currently Berlin-based, and her young adult novel entitled Sula’s Voyage published by Scholastic Asia. Her latest collection of short stories entitled Mariposa Gang and Other Stories was published by the University of Santo Tomas Publishing House. (Torres’ photo courtesy of the author, portrait shot by Adam Nankervis. Sula’s Voyage book cover is by Kathrin Honesta while the Mariposa Gang cover is by Jhozelle Crooc.)
A sample of Jim Pascual Agustin’s latest poetry work.
utterances from President Duterte. The audience expressed horror and sympathy after I read my work. I wish it wasn’t so. But as it is, I’ll use every opportunity to express what I think and feel about the situation in the country.
BW: Do you remember the very first poem you ever published in South Africa? What was it about and how was it received?
It’s an odd story. The editor of New Coin (published by Rhodes University) failed to inform me that they had received and were in fact publishing my poetry in 2012. I only found out the following year when someone phoned me on my cell. I was then busy doing some shopping and thought it
was a prank call. The woman said I had won a prize, but I couldn’t remember joining a competition. She said it was for my poem “Village Potter’s Wife.” At that time, I was in the early stages of being friends with Robert Berold, a leading South African poet and also former editor of New Coin, so I asked him if this was true, and he laughed as he congratulated me. So my first publication happened in 2012 without my knowing it, and one of the poems I had submitted won second prize at the DALRO (Dramatic, Artistic and Literary Rights Organisation).
The judge, Modjaji Books publisher Colleen Higgs, had this to say about my winning poem: “‘Village Potter’s Wife’ is a short, striking poem, full of painful contrasts. At the heart of the poem is the joyful creation of pots, measured against death, destruction, grinding poverty. The poet manages to say a great deal about the life of this woman in three quick brush strokes, and to evoke deep sorrow and loss in this reader.”
it was never a Landslide, but People are now Dead and Dying
The crescent moon will not be blamedfor the insanity of some. The seascannot be held back by measured bordersfor its nature is to surge against itself and whatever it encounters. Men
will choose, and some women, too, the path closest to what they believe will slay their fears, even as historyhas shown they are nothing but their own shadows. It is easy to forget that stepping back
allows a better view where one is headed.Now it is too late to recount. A landslide victory is claimed by less than most. The deadand dying are now sprouting like poisonmushrooms where children may find them.
Walang Landslide, ngunit May mga Bangkay at nangangamataysalin ni Emmanuel Q. Velasco
Hindi maisisisi sa kawing na buwanang kabaliwan ng ilan. Ang dagat,hindi papipigil sa mga hangganang sukatdahil kalikasan nitong daluyungin ang sariliat ang anumang makaulayaw. Mga lalaki
at maging ilang babae, ang pipiling landas na kaylapit sa iniisip nilangkikitil sa kanilang takot, gayong kasaysayanang nagsaad na wala ito kundi sarili nilangmga anino. Madaling kalimutan na pag-atras
ang magdudulot ng mas maayos na pagtanaw sa tinutungo.Ngayon, huli na para muling magbilangan. Landslide victory ang inaangkin ng kaunti sa karamihan. Ang bangkayat nangangamatay, ngayo’y nag-uusbungang tila lason na kabute kung saan sila masusumpungan ng walang malay.
thought half as good. Yes, that saying applies. So earning a living takes up most of my time, leaving me with very little opportunity to write.
It’s pretty much like the Philippines, where most writers are too busy earning a living to really work on long projects (like novels) and complete something of a quality satisfactory to them.
BW: What advantages has living in Denmark provided for your writing career?
The same advantages that many people – refugees – risk life and limb to avail of, I suppose. In the community where I live, the air is clean, the streets are disease-free, there is very little crime (except for the burglaries around Christmas), medical care is free, the trains run on time, and people mind
their own business, while taking care of each other. I can go for a walk in the morning without fear that someone will grab my purse (as in Manila), or without risking my reputation as a woman who likes to walk in solitary spaces alone (as in the provinces).
This is what I can say of Denmark so far, based on my experience and discussions with my husband, who is Danish: people say what they think. There is no traffic, and there is a good (albeit very expensive) public transportation system and an excellent public health system. I was under treatment for an eye infection and its consequences for many years, with much of that subsidized by the government, and in 2014, I had surgery which was absolutely free; the laparoscopic technology used meant that I was on my feet and commuting to my teaching job within two weeks. The public libraries are well-stocked, and the internet is lightning-fast. So
to Danish audiences about my books, my work as a writer, and about Philippine literature. Then, I met my now-husband. He is Vagn Plenge, a publisher of literature from Asia, Africa, and Latin America, published in Danish. We got married in 2008 and I have lived in Denmark since then.
BW: Have there been any Filipino writers in Denmark in the past?
I have heard of one other Filipina living in Denmark who has published at least one book in English. She is retired now so she is probably at least 20 years my senior. But I don’t recall her name and I’ve never met her.
What I find more significant, however, is that I am most likely the only Filipino who is teaching English at a high level in Denmark. I work at Studieskolen, a private school in the center of C o p e n h a g e n where Danes and foreigners (mostly other Europeans but there are many Asians too, especially
Chinese) come to brush up on their language skills. I have been teaching Academic Writing at an advanced level since the summer of 2015, and have taught preparatory classes for the Cambridge Proficiency and Cambridge Advanced examinations, the latter a tutorial. I’ve taught Conversation and Writing classes as well. To be a teacher/tutor is
more lucrative, to be honest, than writing. The personalized, one-to-one encounter cannot be scanned, shared online and devalued, unlike poems, stories, entire novels.
Yet it was my background as a writer and journalist that helps me do this job, and the pressure to keep up the good work is very strong. My boss gets scores of job applications each semester, from all over the world.
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Bookwatch Vol. 20 No. 3Bookwatch Vol. 20 No. 3
research was needed. But with Sula’s Voyage, I had to do significantly more research, about the sea and about the Sama Laut, both of which play a central role in the story. Yet even then, the research only served to advance the story that was taking shape in my head.
BW: not one, but tWo Filipino authors made it to SABA this year – you and Sophia Lee. What do you think does this indicate?
Yes, it’s amazing that Scholastic published two Pinoys this year (though Sophia’s manuscript won, and mine was a finalist, in SABA 2014–it took two years to turn the manuscripts into books). I think it shows that Filipino writers are readier than ever to take on a bigger audience if they are given the opportunity.
BW: is it your first time to live in Berlin? How is life over there?
Yes, it’s my first time to live in Berlin. In fact, it’s my first time to set foot in Europe. It’s been fascinating because, growing up, a lot of the things I learned in school and even at home had roots in Europe. Some of the things I love about Berlin are its creative energy, the greenness of it, the convenient transportation system... At the same time, because of Germany’s checkered history, it had certain uncomfortable associations for me, and living here gives me the opportunity to work through these.
BW: Who are your major writing influences? And who are you reading now?
I’m a voracious reader, and no doubt, many of the books I’ve read over more than three decades have influenced my writing. But if I have to name my major influences, I would say Alice Munro, in terms of her writing style; Pico Iyer, in terms of how sense of place looms large in my stories (many people who’ve read Sula’s Voyage and Mariposa Gang have commented that they are like travelogues); and F. Sionil Jose in terms of how my stories are moored in Philippine soil and the Filipino soul.
BW: Let us know how we readers can support your work (how to subscribe to a blog, or purchase your books).
Thanks for this opportunity to talk about my books. You can find out more about them at voyagewithsula.com and mariposagang.com. How could readers help? By reading the books and sharing their thoughts about them on Goodreads. By asking their favorite bookstores to stock the titles if they don’t yet. And since we’re already in the “-ber” months and Christmas is fast approaching, by considering Sula’s Voyage and Mariposa Gang as stocking-fillers for their family and friends.
The Denmark I know is a country without drama. And I hope that stability
will do good things for my writing, once I have the
time for it anew.
- Lakambini Sitoy
“ “Lakambing Sitoy, or “Bing” to the Filipino literary community, is now based in Denmark. Her latest work is her novel entitled Sweet Haven published in 2014 by the New York Review of Books. It was translated in French by Albin Michel as Les Filles de Sweethaven.
LAkAMBini SitoY, fictionist and teacher based in Copenhagen, Denmark
BW: From the Philippines to Denmark – how did it happen?
In 2003, I left for England, to live for a year, having received a generous fellowship at the University of East Anglia. The first three weeks of the journey I spent in Denmark, speaking
At the moment, it is through teaching, rather than writing, that I serve as an ambassador of Filipino intellectual life and ability.
BW: What are the challenges of living in Denmark as a writer?
When I tell people that I live in Denmark, they are generally impressed. They talk about the free education and the notion that Denmark is a welfare state. They probably have the idea that writers in Denmark can afford to lean back and subsist on state subsidies in order to focus on their writing. That is completely untrue.
The primary challenge for me as a writer has been what Denmark requires of foreigners who want to live here permanently and ultimately gain citizenship. In my case, they have been: first, learn the Danish language (study it for two years) and pass a qualifying exam. Second, work full-time (at least 30 hours a week) for three years to prove that one is capable of supporting oneself and will not be a liability to the state in the future. Incidentally, creative writing cannot fall as work by this definition because it is impossible to prove the amount of hours spent on a project, and the low financial returns would make it appear as though I had worked only a handful of hours a month. Third: pass an examination in Danish on the country’s history and culture.
This is why I have not published much, nor been writing much, since 2008 when I moved here. Sweet Haven, the novel, was largely drafted between 2006 and 2008.
Furthermore, in order to find a good job, one also has to equip oneself with the right education. To be honest, very little of the credentials I had with me from the Philippines mattered much in this country. It’s not that their standards are much higher than, say, in Britain– it’s more that they have a narrow and very dim view of the Philippines and the capabilities of its citizens. I have been fortunate enough to get jobs where I put at least some of my qualifications from back home to good use. But here, we have to work 10 times as hard to be
these benefits justify the high taxes we pay (appallingly high to an American, for example).
As for the culture, there are many things I like. When Danes cannot do something for you, they give you an honest “no” instead of leaving you hanging with an open-ended “yes.” They view sex as natural, rather than a prize to be taken, taken away, or stolen, from another human being.
I probably sound like I am criticizing life in the Philippines by implication – which is a bit unfair, because as individuals, we in the Philippines didn’t choose our unhappy situation: it seems to have been the sum total of bad political decisions, history, and a few other things. And it is possible that, had I chosen to stay, way back in 2008, I would have less of a quarrel with life over there, as a result of maturity, perhaps, and coming to terms with reality.
These are the good things about Denmark, of course. I don’t see any reason to dwell on the bad in this interview. And all of these good things provide a climate that fosters one’s hobbies – of which my writing is officially one (very few people can actually live off their writing alone, so most writers have full-time jobs, in which case the writing is classified as a hobby, non-income generating, for taxation purposes).
In short, the Denmark I know is a country without drama. And I hope that stability will do good things for my writing, once I have the time for it anew.
BW: Do you speak Danish now? Are you going to write your stories and books in Danish someday? Why or why not?
Yes, I speak some Danish. My husband tells me my pronunciation is very good, but my vocabulary is sparse. My Danish could be better if I didn’t use English for work.
I don’t intend to write my stories and books in Danish. I cannot compete with the native speakers, and there are so many English-to-Danish translation
do not encounter the sort of lechery commonly found in the Philippine work environment (I’m thinking of the media industry, as well as the actual content of our general-audience TV programs).
Finally, instead of our weary, tolerant and often indulgent attitude toward sexual affairs during marriage, Danish society opts for “serial monogamy.” An affair often leads almost immediately to divorce, and perhaps a new partner eventually.
Last word: Danes are very, very diligent parents. In the Philippines, my generation grew up as “wild children” – we had our hierarchies, we held back our tears, we viewed strength as the ability to solve problems (i.e., deal with bullying) without having to rat on the perpetrator to teachers/parents. Today, I’m seeing very close-knit, almost insular nuclear families in Denmark, as opposed to the free-moving extended families we have over there. Interestingly enough, the “wild child,” with a secret life unknown to her parents, is alive and well in Denmark. She has simply moved residence – to the internet.
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opportunities. This will never be my language either, in the way that English can never be a Dane’s language.
The interesting thing about living here, though, is that I am beginning to care deeply about the things that Danes care about, such as the refugee crisis in Europe. Not to say that the Philippine situation does not affect me deeply – my husband has caught me weeping in front of the computer, having read the latest reactions to the Chief Executive’s policy on certain extra-judicial killings, but I prefer to read the summaries rather than the tedious blow-by-blow accounts.
BW: How is it like living in one of the freest countries in the world in terms of sexual expression – especially after having come from a country like ours where women still eat double standards for breakfast? Do you like your writing better when society has no such constraints, or do you like it when it has to scale some height or challenge?
In a nutshell, my “cute sexual rebel” persona doesn’t work here (I’ve grown too old for that, anyway), so I had to
The Philippines will be participating in the Frankfurt Book Fair (FBF) to be held on October 19 to 23, 2016 at Messegelände, Frankfurt, Germany. The FBF is the biggest book fair in the world and is the best place to showcase Philippine books to the international market. The Philippine stand is located at Hall 4.0, Stand C93.
The Philippines has been named one of the featured markets during The Markets Forum on October 18, 2016 at the FBF. The country is featured alongside six other countries: Poland,
grope for some other way to stand out. Until I decided it was much better not to stand out – to be proper, to work hard, to be the best teacher I could be, to choose my battles (and that also means choose my writing projects) and not to put anything out (publish in print or the internet) unless I was able to do a follow-through, i.e., keep it up on a regular basis or defend myself from attackers. There will always be attackers once you decide to put your work out into the public sphere.
There are some things Filipinos need to know about Denmark though – decades of sexual freedom mean that people no longer need to let it all hang out as an act of defiance or self-expression. You don’t see people in super-styled hair, lots of makeup, revealing clothing and high-heels. (You do see a few drunk teenage girls on the train on a Saturday night). And nobody sunbathes naked anymore, although body-shaming has something to do with that. I think our images of Scandinavian sexual openness stem from the 1960s-1970s.
Furthermore, there is a very, very strong sense of what is proper in the workplace and in the public sphere. You
Many aspiring writers think of international recognition as integral to their success. After all, success beyond
one’s own culture and country is not only about being financially viable for other markets. It also means that one has connected with others across the world.
Filipinos who live and work abroad have unique viewpoints on how Filipinos can thrive and meet the challenges of being global citizens and writers. To share insights about these topics, we communicated with literary agent Andrea Pasion-Flores and Filipino-American author R. Zamora Linmark.
the agentAndrea Pasion-Flores is the former Executive Director of the National Book Development Board of the Philippines (NBDB), and is currently one of the literary agents of Jacaranda Literary Agency. She wears many hats; aside from being a literary agent, she is also a copyright lawyer and a writer herself. She wrote the bestselling novel Have Baby Will Date published by Summit Books in 2004 and in 2014, she released a collection of stories entitled For Love and Kisses published by the University of Santo Tomas Publishing House.
the WriterR. Zamora Linmark is a true cosmopolitan soul, having lived in Manila, London, Madrid, and San Francisco. He has two novels, Rolling the R’s and Leche, and two poetry collections, Prime Time Apparitions and The Evolution of a Sigh. Rolling the R’s spotlights a group of genderqueer youths of Filipino descent, living in Hawaii; Leche is about the homecoming that one of the characters from Rolling the R’s receives when he goes home to the Philippines. All his works have been published abroad, to critical acclaim.
The Pinoy AbroAd:Perseverance and Publication
BY RICHARD RAMOS
Did you ever wonder how international publications work with authors? Get a handful of
publication insights from a Filipino literary agent and a recognized Filipino-American author.
BW: How is the publishing process when it comes to the international market? What should writers consider?
r. Zamora Linmark: Really get to know the kind of writer you are and why you are even writing in the first place. Are you writing to gain a wider readership, to earn money, become famous? Is it out of an urgent need to tell stories? What about your subject matter? Is it confined to Filipino or Philippine-related topics? Do you lean more towards the
experimental or traditional modes of storytelling? Are you more of a sci-fi, speculative, noir, fantasy, or literary writer? All these labels, by the way, are detachable/interchangeable/arbitrary, but it will be an issue for the marketing department of the house that’s considering your manuscript. It will also be asked after it is purchased.
As for the international market—I really don’t know. My two novels were published by a small and a mid-size house. Neither was sold to foreign markets, i.e., translated. My poetry collections were all published by a small press out of Brooklyn. That said, I am happy and fortunate with all the editors I worked with and the attention these publishers had given to my books. I don’t think I could’ve asked for better homes for these books. These houses are still around and all my books are still in print. My forthcoming novel, a young adult novel, is coming out of Delacorte Press/Random House.
Has my attitude towards the industry changed? Not one bit as my main concern is finding an editor who will help me polish and do wonders with my manuscripts.
Netherlands/Flanders, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Spain, and Brazil.
The Markets Forum will feature “Analysts” who will present their country’s current situation. They are followed by “Visionaries” who will talk about the future of the industry. The forum also features one-on-one sessions with the “Market Players” or book publishing industry experts.
Ateneo University Press Director Karina Bolasco is the Philippine Analyst and will be presenting the current state of and perceived trends in story writing, book production, and reading in general during this exclusive forum for publishers all over the world.
Ani Rosa Almario, President of the Book Development Association of the Philippines (BDAP) and Alvin Juban, President and Chairman of the
Game Developers Association of the Philippines (GDAP) are chosen as the country’s Visionaries.
Ms. Almario will present the upcoming developments and new trends in the book publishing industry while Mr. Juban will tackle how book publishing is crossing over from print to apps and games.
Andrea Pasion-Flores, Gwenn Galvez, Ani Rosa Almario, and Segundo “Jun” Matias Jr. are the Market Players, who have 30-minute time slots each to entertain meetings.
The Philippines named one of Seven Markets
Frankfurt Book Fair i n t h e
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BW: How is the publishing process from the literary agent’s point of view?
Andrea Pasion-Flores: What I’ve learned as an agent is that competition is very tough – in any genre. There is no room for the “okay” work. What I send out must be excellent and that, after having read it, an editor or a publisher would be compelled to put money behind it and a ton of energy that emanates from every single publishing professional that is needed to get the work into the public’s attention.
This brings me to the realization that perhaps most writers don’t quite know just yet: Art (in this case, a book) is collaborative work. There are many, many people behind a particular work even if there might be one byline that appears on the cover. It takes the humble writer to realize that and see that a book is the product of a creative process participated in by many people.
BW: is there a preference for literary agents who also have a history of being writers?
APF: I hope so. I feel a fellow writer is able to give concrete, practical advice on how to improve a manuscript. I hope that’s appreciated. I’m also a copyright lawyer, which is not true of all agents. So I am quite comfortable with the language of publishing contracts as well.
rZL: [I like] a literary agent who also has a history of being an editor, OR possesses the meticulous eye of an editor. My agent, for example, wants my manuscript to be as polished as possible, which means that many, if not all, the red flags he’d spotted have been resolved. Because once your manuscript goes out to editors of publishing houses – that’s pretty much it. Unless you find an editor who’s fallen in love with your
manuscript and asked you to revise it. This is the case with my second novel. A junior editor who, at the time, was working for a major publisher, loved the possibilities that Leche had and so she sent me a four-page letter, basically asking me if I were open to revising it for another consideration. I did. She liked the revision.
BW: What, in your experience, are the usual concerns that can delay publication?
rZL: If the author and the editor do not see eye-to-eye with the revision/editing. Once your manuscript is picked up by a publisher, then the only thing that the writer should be concerned with is the editing.
APF: The failure to meet deadlines in the submission of revisions. But generally, people try to accommodate people as much as they can.
BW: (For Ms. Pasion-Flores) How did you start working as a literary agent? What got you into it?
APF: After working in the NBDB for almost seven years, I realized my frustrations about not seeing Filipino and Asian works abroad had a lot to do with the fact that no one was selling us to international publishers. At that time, I had invited Jayapriya Vasudevan to the Philippines for one of the literary festivals. She’s an agent who works out of India and Singapore, someone I knew who understood the struggles of someone from Asia. After a visit here, she came back at me and just asked me to send her two titles I personally loved and she would see if that would fly. One of the works I picked to send to her was Smaller and Smaller Circles [by F.H. Batacan] – and what a ride that has been then, and still is now. So, when I was ready to leave the NBDB and she was wrapping up business ties with her previous partner, I asked her if she would take me in as a partner. She was also talking to Helen Mangham, our
British colleague based in Singapore, and it worked out.
At the moment, I am quite happy that publishers are beginning to realize the importance of selling rights abroad. I look forward to seeing more local titles join international titles with Filipinos and other Asians joining in a much wider conversation that happens between the books of the world.
BW: At what point in a writer’s career should they consider having a literary agent?
rZL: No specific point. Once a manuscript is completed, polished, and the writer has done all that he or she can possibly do, then the writer can start shopping for an agent.
APF: It would be best to have an agent at the get-go. An agent might help the writer put some perspective on the writer’s career and navigate contracts to protect the interests of the author. If you’ve worked with a committed agent, the writer will know how much work is put into selling a manuscript, and the amount of time spent with the author to get things going.
BW: What advice would you give for people who are looking for the services of a literary agent?
rZL: Find an agent who believes in, and will protect, your work; who knows the industry/market very well; who is either a writer or editor; who understands your process, and who you can discuss candidly with about your work.
BW: Are there differences or difficulties as a writer with Filipino roots, when it comes to publishing in the international scene?
rZL: This is a difficult question to answer. Filipinos have been writing in English for about a century now, but only a few of them have been, and are being, published in the United States and elsewhere, usually in university presses and small-to-mid-size publishers. Isn’t it odd that the country produces writers who, unlike the Japanese, Chinese, Europeans, Spanish et al, do not need to be translated into English. Yet, you can more or less count the number
of Filipino writers whose books are published outside of the Philippines. Why is this so? Do Filipino readers support their writers, particularly the less commercial or literary ones? I don’t think it’s got anything to do with the quality of writing, for we can spend an entire day coming up with a list of Filipino writers and their books who deserve a global readership. Is it the subject matter? Is anyone even interested in what we have to say about our past and current situations? Or is the world more interested in our stories being recycled by non-Filipinos?
Can it be said that there is a particularly “Filipino” slant? It depends on how you define Filipino. Are we talking “The Tong-Eight Club” or “Like Water for Choc-Nut?” or “One Hundred Years of Co-Dependency?” Or “Balut Eaters.”
BW: Do you think there is an international market for Filipino works that extends beyond Filipinos abroad, or those who have Filipino roots or connections?
rZL: I’m not sure if having connections is enough. I can introduce a Filipino writer to an agent or to an editor but it doesn’t mean that the writer’s manuscript will be published. It really depends on numerous factors: the manuscript, what the
editor is looking for in a manuscript, is the writer bringing something new or refreshing to the subject matter. In the end, it really is all about the writer. Is the writer going to set aside the new project by anticipating the critical, commercial, and global reception of his or her book? Or is the writer more interested in exerting all his or her time and energy on the next project? I, personally, opt for
the latter. That’s where the challenge lies. That’s where the writing matters.
BW: How can a writer protect himself or herself in terms of contracts, especially if they are new to the industry?
APF: There are many things to consider when you decide you’re ready to publish and you find someone who wants to publish you. The best contract between author and publisher is one that might have been arrived at by both parties after some consideration of both the goals of the publisher and author, with both parties recognizing the other’s contributions to the project with a deep knowledge of their own capacities.
The beginning author will learn soon enough that he (or she) has to let go of some of his rights to be able to help the publisher maximize the potential of the book. However, having been granted certain rights, the publisher also has a corresponding responsibility to do its best to reach the book’s audience – again with the help of the author.
So, in terms of protection of the author’s rights, the author needs to map out his goals and see which rights he might negotiate with the publisher to best bring the book to as many of his intended readers. Copyright is a slew of rights that the beginning author might want to be more familiar with, even in a general manner before signing on the dotted line. Perhaps the author might also be encouraged to ask the publisher questions about particular provisions, to explain further the provisions the author might not be so familiar with.
BW: What would your most important tips be for writers who are still starting out, when it comes to publishing rights and other kinds of rights attached to the work?
APF: Study the contract. Get advice from someone who knows how to read a publishing contract. Authors should know that, as with most things, it’s a give and take. Though there is one byline on the cover, there are many people who have collaborated to try to make it the best book it can be.
BW: What advice would you give for people who are looking for the services of a literary agent?
APF: Always send your very best work. The very best work only comes from committed authors, those ready to do much for their craft.
At the moment, I am quite happy that publishers are beginning to realize the importance of selling rights abroad.
I look forward to seeing more local titles join international titles with Filipinos and other Asians joining in a much wider conversation that happens between the books of the world.
- Andrea Pasion-Flores
“ “
Really get to know the kind of writer you are and why you are even writing in the first place. Are you writing to gain a wider readership, to earn money, become famous? Is it out of an urgent need to tell stories? What about your subject matter? Is it confined to Filipino or Philippine-related topics? All these labels are detachable/interchangeable/arbitrary, but it will be an issue for the marketing department of the house that’s considering your manuscript.
- R. Zamora Linmark
“ “
US-based author R. Zamora Linmark, or Zach to his friends and contemporaries, is the author of novels that intersect the Filipino American experience, identities, and queerness, among other subthemes. His novel Rolling The R’s was published in 1997 while his latest one, Leche, was published in 2011. He is currently busy writing a new novel.
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The National Book Development Board (NBDB) and the Manila Crit-ics Circle (MCC) are pleased to an-nounce the finalists for this year’s National Book Awards (NBA).
NBDB MCC&
35th NATIONAL BOOK AWARDSFINALISTS
A N N O U N C E T h E
BESt Book oF NoNFIctIoN PRoSE IN FILIPINo
Ang Autobiografia ng Ibang Lady Gagani Jack AlvarezVisprint, Inc.
He’s Dating the Transgenderni Arthur Sta. AnaAnvil Publishing, Inc.
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2
BESt NoVEL IN ENGLIShLocust Girl: A Lovesong by Merlinda BobisAnvil Publishing, Inc.
Sweet Haven by Lakambini SitoyAnvil Publishing, Inc.
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2
BESt Book oF ShoRt FIctIoNIN ENGLISh
Our Darkest Hours: A Collection of Short Fictionby Jose Miguel ArguellesVisprint Inc.
Recuerdos de Patay and Other Storiesby Caroline S. HauThe University of the Philippines Press
1
2
BESt ESSaYS IN FILIPINo
Titser Pangkalawakan at iba pang angas sa social network underworldni Joselito D. Delos ReyesVisprint, Inc.
1
BESt ESSaYS IN ENGLISh
Planet Panic: Notes from the Queen of Procrastinationby Pam PastorAnvil Publishing Inc.
Re: Recollections, Reviews, Reflectionsby Luis H. FranciaThe University of the Philippines Press
1
2
BESt NoVEL IN FILIPINo
Lila ang Kulay ng Pamamaalamni RM Topacio-AplaonThe University of the Philippines Press
Sa Amin, Sa Dagat-Dagatang Apoy ni Mayette M. BayugaThe University of the Philippines Press
Si Janus Silang at ang Labanáng Manananggal-Mambabarang ni Edgar Calabia SamarAdarna House, Inc.
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BESt Book oF ShoRt FIctIoNIN FILIPINo
Ang Nag-Iisa at Natatanging si Onyok ni Eugene Y. EvascoLampara Publishing House, Inc.
Babae, Sa Balumbalonan ni Hakob At Iba Pang Kuwento ni Mayette M. BayugaUniversity of Santo Tomas Publishing House
Kumpisal: Mga Kuwento ni Chuckberry J. PascualUniversity of Santo Tomas Publishing House
Philippine Folktalesni Joanne Marie Igoy-EscalonaAnvil Publishing, Inc.
Sa Mil Flores, May Isang Hostes at iba pang Kuwento ni Rosario de Guzman-Lingat Ateneo de Manila University Press
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BESt Book oF NoNFIctIoN PRoSE IN ENGLISh
Arsenio H. Lacson of Manilaby Amador F. Brioso, Jr.Anvil Publishing, Inc.
Endless Journey: A Memoirby Jose T. Almonte and Marites Dañguilan VitugCleverheads Publishing
The Writer, the Lover and the Diplomat: Life with Carlos P. Romuloby Beth Day Romulo and David F. HyattAnvil Publishing, Inc.
To Remember to Remember: Reflections on the Literary Memoirs of Filipino Womenby Cristina Pantoja HidalgoUniversity of Santo TomasPublishing House
Virgilio “Baby” Dalupan: The Maestro of Philippine Basketballby Tessa M. Jazminez (lead editor)Media Wise Communications, Inc./ Muse Books
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2
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BESt Book oF PoEtRY IN ENGLISh
Imago: Poemsby Joseph O. LegaspiUniversity of Santo Tomas Publishing House
Lyrical Objectsby Marne KilatesUniversity of Santo Tomas Publishing House
Maybe Somethingby Isabela BanzonThe University of the Philippines Press
The Reddest Herringby Francisco GuevarraUniversity of Santo Tomas Publishing House
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2
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4
BESt Book oF PoEtRY IN FILIPINo
Aguani Enrique S. VillasisLIRA, Inc. (Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika, at Anyo)
Lilok ng Lilo: Mga Tulani Lamberto E. AntonioAteneo de Manila University Press
Mula Tarima Hanggang at iba pang mga Tula at Awitni Ericson AcostaThe University of the Philippines Press
Sa Ilalim ng Pilikni Charles Bonoan TuvillaLIRA, Inc. (Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika, at Anyo)
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Bookwatch Vol. 20 No. 3 Bookwatch Vol. 20 No. 3
BESt tRaNSLatED Book
Ang Rebolusyong Filipino ni Apolinario Mabinisalin ni Michael M. CorozaKomisyon sa Wikang Filipino
Derikaryong Pada: Sugidanon (Epics) of Panay Book 3by Federico “Tuohan” Caballero, Romulo “AmangBaoy” Caballero (chanters), and Alicia P. Magos (chief researcher and senior translator)The University of the Philippines Press
Heartlandtranslated by Marne L. KilatesAteneo de Naga University Press
Pitong Gulod pa ang Layo at iba pang Kuwentosalin ni Edgardo B. MarananKomisyon sa Wikang Filipino
Sa Atong Dila: Introduction ToVisayan Literatureby Merlie M. AlunanThe University of the Philippines Press
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2
3
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5
BESt Book oN PRoFESSIoNS
And Then She Laughed: Counseling Womenby Sylvia Estrada ClaudioAnvil Publishing, Inc.
Cyberpreneur Philippines: Online Business Start-Up Guideby Ray Calbay, Marv de Leon, Paolo Lising (editors)Page Jump Editorial
Education Paradigms for the 21st Century (by Victor M. Ordoñez) by Regina Ordoñez (editor)De La Salle University Publishing House
Laws for Lifeby Gianna Reyes Montinola and Ma. Victoria Rotor-HiladoAnvil Publishing, Inc.
Neither A Pedestal nor a Cage: In Pursuit of Genuine Gender Equality in the Philippine Workplaceby Emily Sanchez SalcedoDe La Salle University Publishing House
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3
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5
BESt Book oN aRt
Contra Mundum: On the Film Restoration of Nick Joaquin’s A Portrait of the Artist As Filipinoby Angelo R. LacuestaMiguel P. De Leon Publishing
Diksyonaryong Biswal ng Arkitekturang Filipino: A Visual Dictionary on Filipino Architectureby Rino D.A. FernandezUniversity of Santo Tomas Publishing House
Fashionable Filipinas: An Evolutionof The Philippine National Dress In Photographs (1860-1960)by Gino Gonzales and Mark Lewis HigginsSuyen Corporation
Inabel: Philippine Textile from the Ilocos Regionby Al M. Valenciano, Regalado Trota Jose, Dr. Norma A. Respicio, Michael F. Manalo, Hannah P. Cunanan, Rene E. Guatlo (contributing writers)ArtPostAsia
Roberto Chabetby Ringo Bunoan (editor)Kingkong Art Projects Unlimited
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BESt Book IN hIStoRY
Dean Worcester’s Fantasy Islands: Photography, Film, And The Colonial Philippinesby Mark RiceAteneo de Manila University Press
Luzon at War: Contradictions in Philippine Society 1898-1902by Milagros Camayon GuerreroAnvil Publishing, Inc.
State and Finance in the Philippines, 1898-1941: The Mismanagement of an American Colonyby Yoshiko NaganoAteneo de Manila University Press
The Lost Vision: The Philippine Left 1986-2010by Ken FullerThe University of the Philippines Press
The War in Cebuby Resil B. Mojares, David W. Taylor, Valeriano S. Avila, David Colamaria, J. Eleazar R. Bersales (authors) J. Eleazar R. Bersales (editor)University of San Carlos Press
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BESt DESIGN
Recognition: Examining Identity Strugglesby Renante D. Pilapilbook design by Paolo Tiausas and cover design by Faith AldabaAteneo de Manila University Press
Dean Worcester’s Fantasy Islands: Photography, Film, And The Colonial Philippinesby Mark Ricebook design by Karl Fredrick M. CastroAteneo de Manila University Press
Roberto Chabetby Ringo Bunoan (editor)book design by B+C DesignKingkong Art Projects Unlimited
The Cosmic Wild: Biology of Science Fictionby Ronald Cruz, book design by Karl Fredrick M. Castro and cover illustration by Mark Lawrence AndresAteneo de Manila University Press
More Hispanic than We Admit 2: Insights into Philippine Cultural Historyby Glòria Cano (editor), book design by Jacqueline Mae C. Obaldo, Ryan T. Dela Cruz Vibal Foundation, Inc.
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BESt Book IN thE SocIaL ScIENcES
Antiquity, Archaeological Processes, and Highland Adaptation: The Ifugao Rice Terracesby Stephen B. AcabadoAteneo de Manila University Press
Building Inclusive Democracies in ASEANby Ronald U. Mendoza,Edsel L. Beja Jr., Julio C. Teehankee, Antonio G.M. La Viña, Marie Fe Villamejor-Mendoza (Editors) Anvil Publishing, Inc.
Poverty and Ecology at the Crossroads: Towards an Ecological Theology of Liberation in the Philippine Contextby Reynaldo D. RalutoAteneo de Manila University Press
Recognition: Examining Identity Strugglesby Renante D. PilapilAteneo de Manila University Press
Tradition and Transformation: Studies on Indigenous Cultureby June Prill-Brett and edited by Delfin Tolentino Jr.Cordillera Studies Center
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BESt Book oN FooD
Discovering Tubaby Arturo G. PachoThe University of the Philippines Press
Panaderia: Philippine Bread, Biscuit and Bakery Traditionsby Amy A. Uy and Jenny B. Orillos with recipes by Jill F. SandiqueAnvil Publishing, Inc.
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2
BESt Book oN ScIENcE
The Cosmic Wild: Biology of Science Fictionby Ronald CruzAteneo de Manila University Press
1
BESt Book IN JoURNaLISM
Macli-ing Dulag: Kalinga chief, Defender of the Cordilleraby Ma. Ceres P. DoyoThe University of the Philippines Press
1
BESt Book IN LaNGUaGE StUDIES(komisyon sa wikang Filipino Prize)
Ambagan 2013: mga salita mula sa iba’t ibang wika sa Filipinasni Michael M. Coroza (editor)The University of the Philippines Press
Ang Aking Unang Diksiyonaryo Katon: Sinugbuanong Binisaya Filipino-Ingles by Rosalina J. Villaneza, PhD (editor)Vibal Foundation, Inc.
Filipino Children’s Treasury: Sinugbuanong Binisaya Filipino-Inglesby Rosalina J. Villaneza, PhD (editor)Vibal Foundation, Inc.
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BESt Book oF GRaPhIc LItERatURE IN ENGLISh
Halina Filipina: A Graphic Novelby Arnold ArreChambershell Publishing Inc.
Kare-Kare Komiks: Short Comicsby Andrew DrilonAnino Comics, an imprint of Adarna House, Inc.
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2
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Kikomachine Komix Blg. 11: Mga Kirot ng Kapalaranni Manix AbreraVisprint, Inc.
News Hardcore! Hukbong Sandatahan ng Kahaggardan!ni Manix AbreraVisprint, Inc.
Si Janus Silang at Ang Tiyanak Ng Tabon (ni Edgar Calabia Samar) hango ni Carljoe Javier at guhit ni Natasha RingorAnino Comics, an imprint of Adarna House, Inc.
Sixty Sixni Russell Molina at Ian Sta. MariaAnino Comics, an imprint of Adarna House, Inc.
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BESt Book oF GRaPhIc LItERatURE (woRDLESS)
Lightby Rob ChamAnino Comics, an imprint of Adarna House, Inc.
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BESt LItERaRY cRItIcISM IN ENGLISh
Deconstruction After All: Reflections and Conversationsby Christopher Norris edited by David Jonathan Y. BayotDe La Salle University Publishing House
Past Mountain Dreaming: New Essaysby Gémino H. AbadThe University of the Philippines Press
Poetry is: José Garcia Villa’s Philosophy of Poetryby Robert L. King (editor)Ateneo de Manila University Press
The Collected Stories of Jose Garcia Villaby Jonathan Chua (editor)Ateneo de Manila University Press
The Resil Mojares Readerby Hope Sabanpan-Yu (editor)University of San Carlos Press
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BESt aNthoLoGY IN ENGLISh
Fast Food Fiction Delivery: Short Short Stories to Go edited by Noelle Q. de Jesus and Mookie Katigbak-LacuestaAnvil Publishing Inc.
Habagatanon: Conversations with Six Davao Writersedited by Ricardo M. de UngriaThe University of the Philippines Press
Histories in Memories: Remembering the July 16, 1990 Earthquake,An Anthologyedited by Anna Christie V. TorresCordillera Studies Center
To Remember to Remember: Reflections on the Literary Memoirs of Filipino Womenby Cristina Pantoja HidalgoUniversity of Santo TomasPublishing House
Many Journeys, Many Voices: A Tribute to Filipina Overseas Workersby Edna Zapanta Manlapaz,Czarina Saloma and Yael A. BuencaminoAnvil Publishing Inc.
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BESt aNthoLoGY IN FILIPINo
35 Kuwentong KlasikoAdarna House, Inc.
Canuplin at Iba Pang Mga Akda ng Isang Manggagawang Pangkulturani Manny PambidThe University of the Philippines Press
Kritikal na Espasyo ng Kulturang Popularni Rolando B. Tolentino at Gary C. Devilles (mga editor)Ateneo de Manila University Press
Lupang Hinirang Lupang Tinubuan: Mga Sanaysay Sa Kritika, Kasaysayan, at Politikang Pangkulturani E. San Juan, Jr.De La Salle University Publishing House
Gualberto Cea Manlagñit: Mga Piling Obrani Maria Celestina Manlagñit-Tam, Kristian Cordero, Tito Genova Valiente (mga editor)Ateneo de Naga University Press
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Bookwatch Vol. 20 No. 3 Bookwatch Vol. 20 No. 3
tRAnsLAtIon sUBsIDY PRoGRAM tRAnsLAtIon sUBsIDY PRoGRAM
APPLICATIon FoRm
PUBLISHER DETAILS
ComPAny nAme:
ADDReSS:
numbeR oF ACTIve TITLeS:
ConTACT PeRSon:
PoSITIon oF ConTACT PeRSon In The ComPAny:
ConTACT numbeR:
e-mAIL ADDReSS:
ComPAny WebSITe:
TRAnSLAToR DETAILS
TRAnSLAToR’S nAme:
ADDReSS:
ConTACT numbeR:
e-mAIL ADDReSS:
QuALIFICATIonS/PRoFeSSIonAL hISToRy:
PRevIouSLy PubLISheD TRAnSLATIonS:
Book DETAILS
book TITLe:
AuThoR:
oRIgInAL PubLISheR:
oRIgInAL LAnguAge:
LAnguAge oF TRAnSLATIon:
TARgeT DATe oF PubLICATIon (mm/DD/yy):
TyPe oF LITeRATuRe (STATe IF PRoSe/PoeTRy):
numbeR oF PAgeS:
numbeR oR LIneS (FoR PoeTRy) oR
numbeR oF WoRDS (FoR PRoSe):
eSTImATeD TRAnSLATIon CoST (In uSD):
NBDB NBDB
the national Book Development Board of the Philippines (nBDB) offers translation grants to Philippine
publishers who sold translation rights of a published Filipino work to a foreign publisher.
PURPoseThe grants aim to introduce Philippine culture, art, and literature to the world and allow foreign readers to read Philippine literature in their native languages. Grants will cover translation costs to a maximum of US$1,500 per title.
who MAY APPLY?Philippine publishers who sold translation rights of a published Filipino work to a foreign publisher (license and translation contracts must have been executed) may apply.
evALUAtIonThe entries will be screened by the NBDB. Applications will be judged according to the chosen book’s artistic merit, the publisher’s and translator’s reputations, and the quality of the marketing and promotional plans.
Please fill out this application form and e-mail to [email protected] with the subject: NBDB Translation Subsidy Program Application (Name of publishing house)
All application fields should be filled out.
All required documents should also be attached in the same e-mail. See the attachment checklist below for a list of required documents. All required documents should be in PDF format.
Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered.
Applications are due on December 29, 2016 (Thursday).
The Translation Subsidy Program is given by the National Book Development Board of the Philippines (NBDB). Decisions by the NBDB are final and are not open to appeals.
GRAnt PAYMentsThe translation grant will be paid in two installments. Fifty percent will be awarded after the translation is completed. The remaining fifty percent will be given after the publisher submits three print copies of the book, with the NBDB logo placed on the copyright page of the book.
contAct InfoRMAtIonFor inquiries, please contact: National Book Development Board Unit 2401 Prestige TowerF. Ortigas Jr. Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City 1605, PhilippinesTelefax: +63-2-570-6198 or +63-2-687-1804E-mail: [email protected]: booksphilippines.gov.ph
ResULtsGrant results will be announced one month after the application deadline. Grant winners will be notified by e-mail.
For successful applicants, the NBDB will give a Letter of Offer with the Terms and Conditions and performance measures of the grant. Notified applicants have two weeks to accept the offer by signing a Letter of Offer Reply Slip. Failure to send the reply slip within two weeks will forfeit the grant.
The translated book must be published one year after the grant is awarded.
Applications are due on December 29, 2016 (Thursday).
Interested publishers should e-mail their applications to [email protected] with the subject: NBDB Translation Subsidy Program Application (Name of publishing house).
The following documents should be attached in PDF format:
A publisher must have an active backlist of at least 20 titles. Book publishing must be the company’s primary trade.A publisher must have an effective distribution network, as well as marketing and promotional plans for the chosen work. License agreements and translation contracts must already be signed at the time of application.The chosen work must be published in the Philippines and written in any of the country’s languages (Filipino, English, and other Philippine languages). The book must have at least 48 printed pages, except if it’s children’s fiction. Eligible genres include:
Application for translation grants must be done prior to the printing stage.
fiction (novels, novellas, or short story collections)poetrychildren’s fiction (excluding picture books) biography and autobiographygraphic novel creative non-fictionessaysliterary criticismscientific works
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eLIGIBILItY
completed application form a publisher profile of the Philippine publisher a publisher profile of the foreign publishera signed license agreement a signed translator’s contract a copy of the translator’s Curriculum Vitae (CV) an 8-10 page translation sample of the chosen book a one-page evaluation of the translator’s work an outline of marketing and publicity plan of the foreign publisher. Plan must include the following details:
date of publication area of distribution print run (minimum of 2,000 copies) price of bookestimated readerspromotional plans
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APPLIcAtIon PRocess
AttAchMent checkLIst
Publisher Profile Signed License Agreement Signed Translator Contract Translator’s CV Translation Sample (8-10 pages) Marketing and publicity plan outline
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Bookwatch Vol. 20 No. 3 Bookwatch Vol. 20 No. 3
LocaL Writers,
internationaL PubLications,
WorLd audiences
BY RICHARD RAMOS
If you think contemporary Filipino writers are
not getting published internationally, think
again. Armed with sheer determination and of
course literary talent, local writers are slowly
making their marks abroad even without leaving
the country. Get to know a few of these authors
and who’s publishing them out there.
Globalgoing
People who bemoan the lack of Filipino presence in the
international literary scene are perhaps looking in the wrong places. We’ve had many authors in the past whose works have been published by international publishing houses, though these may have been few and far between. The latest big news to come out of this vein is no less than our National Artist for Literature Nick Joaquin’s works being published by Penguin Books by April 2017, according to the Penguin Random House web site. Now that’s an event worth watching out for. Joaquin now joins our National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal’s famed novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo under the Penguin Classics line.
Filipino authors who get international publication deals may be based abroad (or at least shuttle to and from the Philippines and whichever country they’re working in), but some of these published writers are still based here in the Philippines while winning international acclaim or getting published abroad. Samantha Sotto is one of them. She describes herself as a professional daydreamer who also happens to write excellent novels. One such story is Love and Gravity, a tale of
At the end of the day, don’t
write thinking your novel will
be for the international market.
Think about making your story
as good as it can be. Finish
writing it. edit it until it shines.
Then, once it’s published, it will
find its own market.
- kate evangelista
“ “
Filipino novelist Kate Evangelista currently feels the pulse of her international readers based on the popularity of her works. Her latest book is entitled No Holding Back published by Swoon Reads, which, according to their website, publishes under an imprint of Macmillan called Feiwel and Friends. Her works are widely available on Amazon.Com and on the publisher’s site.
love, time, and somehow, Isaac Newton. Kate Evangelista is another one. She would have been a doctor, but that was before she wandered into the literature department and things took a different turn. Her latest work is No Holding Back, the story of a gay couple taking the first steps into a real relationship. Sophia N. Lee is a young adult fiction writer, and her work, What Things Mean, is a coming-of-age story, with dictionary-style chapters that talk about the meaning of things. This book won the grand prize at the Scholastic Asian Book Award in 2014, which led to its publication by the renowned Scholastic brand. There, too, is Rin Chupeco, another young adult writer influenced by Neil Gaiman. Her latest work The Bone Witch, soon to be published by US-based Sourcebooks Fire, combines magic and growing up into a unique story. Last, but not the least, we have F.H. Batacan, who has captivated many readers abroad with Smaller and Smaller Circles, an excellent contemporary crime novel. The novel is about two Jesuit priests who are tracking down a serial killer – something that flies in the face of Philippine culture. We reached out to Samantha Sotto, Kate Evangelista, Sophia N. Lee, and F.H. Batacan to share with us some thoughts on being published internationally.
For introductions, Kate Evangelista, as she writes it, went into medical school when she was told she had a knack for writing stories. She realized, though, that she wasn’t exactly cut out to be in the medical field (“After realizing she wasn’t going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D.,” as her web site states), and she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Literature from De La Salle University. She has been a teacher and an essay consultant, and is now a full-time writer.
Meanwhile, Samantha Sotto, while born in Manila, moved to the Netherlands in her teenage years. She returned to the Philippines, eventually, and graduated with a Communications degree from the Ateneo de Manila University. She plunged into a lengthy career in brand management, but that hasn’t stopped her from coming out with her books. Her first one was Before Ever After, published initially by Crown in 2011, now published by Penguin Random House.
On another front, Sophia N. Lee is a person – as described in her online home page – who, as a child, wanted to be many things: doctor, teacher, ballerina, and ninja, among other
things. Her realization that she could be all that she wanted to be through writing, and a love for etymology, has given birth to her aptly-titled novel, What Things Mean. It was the Grand Prize Winner for the Scholastic Asian Book Awards in 2014, and was later published by Scholastic Press in 2016.
Finally, F.H. Batacan is a veteran of the Philippine intelligence community, and has worked abroad in Singapore for more than a decade. There, she was a reporter and editor for the state newspaper, and she also did work for the state broadcaster. This did not stop her from writing Smaller and Smaller Circles, which was first published in 2002 by the University of the Philippines Press, and is now published by Soho Press. Her Palanca Award-winning crime fiction novel will soon have a movie adaptation, with internationally acclaimed independent film director Raya Martin helming it, to be produced by Tuko Film Productions and Buchi Boy Entertainment. It’s set to come out later this year.
How does your Filipino heritage inform your writing? Does it also shape who your reading audience is?
kate evangelista: It’s odd, but I’m not sure if my Filipino heritage informs my writing in any way. So far, the characters in my head are predominantly western in influence only because I grew up watching Western TV, read western books, lining up for western movies. I have yet to explore a character who is Filipino. Although, she is already in my head, I just haven’t had time to write her story yet.
As for the second part of the question, I am my audience. First and foremost, I write for myself. I write what I would enjoy reading. Then when the work is published, I relinquish all control over it because the book belongs to the readers at that point.
Samantha Sotto: Being a Filipino influences how I view and experience the world. Our culture is a unique blend of East and West and this seeps into my writing voice. My readers in the Philippines have been extremely supportive and I have no doubt that this warm reception is because I am a ‘kababayan.’ (fellow countryman)
Sophia n. Lee: Being Filipino influences my writing in every sense –
it’s important to me to write Filipino stories from a Filipino point of view. I grew up on The Berenstain Bears, on fairytales, on Nancy Drew and Sweet Valley High. I was a huge reader,
even when I was much younger, but I always
wondered why children like
me were never represented in the s torybooks that I read, and in the
stories that I came to
love as a young reader. As a little
girl, I had mistakenly believed that it was because
we weren’t allowed to write these stories, that books were just stories that came from elsewhere for us to consume. It wasn’t until I was much older that I would realize why; it was because there weren’t a lot of people writing them. This is partly what drew me towards writing in the first place. I want to help build something that I didn’t really have as a child, to give young Filipinos stories they can identify with. I want to create characters that Filipino readers can recognize and empathize with, because it’s so important to have that, especially when you’re young.
It’s important for me to write about Filipinos, because I care about how we are represented to the world as well. Books don’t just tell stories; they convey values and ideas about things and people. If we aren’t going to help shape how we’re depicted to the world, we run the risk of giving someone else that power. There’s so much about the Filipino spirit, about Filipino culture that I’m proud of, and I want the world to see that in the things that I write.
F.H. Batacan: I’ve lived overseas for a long time but cliché as it sounds, you can take the Filipino out of the
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Bookwatch Vol. 20 No. 3 Bookwatch Vol. 20 No. 3
Philippines but you can’t take the Philippines out of the Filipino. The country of my birth is the country of my greatest joys and deepest wounds. It is the source of my hope and frustration, the bottomless well of my anger. To love your country is to be angry with it, to be angry with all the things that keep it from being what it could be, and I think that is especially true for writers – or at least, it should be.
When it comes to the international scene, what do you think made your work stand out? What would you advise new writers to think about, when writing for the international market?
evangelista: They have to be aware that the international scene is dominated by books from the US or the UK. Of course, we want it to be more diverse, but right now, that is the reality. Unless writers produce novels
from Asia or Africa or South America that become massive hits, we
must understand that the market leans toward
western books. The largest market is the US at the moment.
But, at the end of the day, don’t
write thinking your novel will be
for the international market. Think about
making your story as good as it can be. Finish writing it. Edit it until it shines. Then, once it’s published, it will find its own market.
Sotto: I don’t know if my work ‘stands out,’ but I will say that I’ve been lucky enough to connect with readers from around the world. When I write, I do not think that I am writing for any particular market. I focus my efforts on expressing myself in an authentic voice, executing an original concept, and developing compelling characters. I believe that if you do these three things well, your work will travel across borders.
Lee: I don’t think it’s possible for me to tell you how my writing has been distinguished from that of other authors; that’s a question better suited for readers of my work, I think. Reading is such a personal thing; every reader will have a different take on the story and on its characters, every reader will interpret the things I write in so many different ways. The most I can hope for with what I write is that those who read it will come away with a better understanding of who they are and of their place in the world, because of how they relate to the characters in the story.
I think the important thing to focus on when writing anything is the story itself. Don’t burden yourself with the pressure of creating something because you think that’s what the international market wants. That may work in some cases, but what I’m sure of is that a good story will always find a home. So work hard at making your story the best possible one you can tell. I have benefited from so many writing teachers, and this is what nearly all of them have told me: write the story that only you can write. Ask yourself what stories you are truly passionate about, what kind of narrative it is that you want to share, and work at it, every single day.
Batacan: Aside from some sound advice from my editors at Soho
As writers, we should write
what we want to write
regardless of what is currently
popular. your goal shouldn’t
be to write the next wizard,
vampire, angel or mermaid
hit. your focus should be on
bringing your own voice and
thoughts to life. Finishing a
manuscript is hard enough
as it is. If you’re not enjoying
the process, then why even
continue?
- Samantha Sotto
“ “ It’s important for me to write about Filipinos, because I care
about how we are represented to the world. books don’t just tell
stories; they convey values and ideas about things and people.
If we aren’t going to help shape how we’re depicted to the world,
we run the risk of giving someone else that power.
- Sophia n. Lee
“ “
Speaking at a previous international literary festival in Makati, Samantha Sotto shared that she wrote her first internationally published novel, Before Ever After, inside cafes in Quezon City, in between her mommy duties while waiting for her kid’s school day to be over. Her latest novel, Love and Gravity, is published by Penguin Random House.
Sophia N. Lee’s unique use of dictionary entries as part of her novel What Things Mean won for her the 2014 Scholastic Asian Book Awards Grand Prize. She still calls Manila her home, and is working on her second novel.
about making certain terms or local traditions clearer for the foreign reader and expanding the book in terms of length and complexity, I didn’t really think much about “writing for the international market.” I just thought about writing as well as I could, to try to convey a story, to create a world that was as faithful in spirit to things that are happening in the country. In some ways I think it’s a slippery slope when you become overly conscious of that “international market.” Write the best way you know how, listen to good advice, and stop worrying about the “market.”
Aside from the writing itself, what else do you think that new writers should think about when it comes to publishing internationally?
evangelista: Social media image and maintaining their brand. You can’t write sweet romances then go on a rant on Twitter
or Facebook about how much you hate a particular issue. Once you are published,
you become a public figure because people will associate your books with yourself.
If you destroy your public image, it will affect your brand, and once
that happens, people might stay away from your future release. Remember,
you’re writing not to publish only one book. You’re writing to make a career of
publishing more than one book. Stick to your brand. Maintain your image.
Sotto: Until you have finished your manuscript, I honestly think that the only thing that should be on your mind is your writing. You can turn your focus outwards when your book is in the best shape possible. Having a robust online and social media presence allows you to interact with your readers. This is still something I am working as I was born in the Paleolithic age.
Lee: New writers wanting to publish have so many options available to them. They can decide how they want to share their work with the world. They can decide to self-publish, they can publish with a
smaller press first and see how it fares, or they can try to get their work picked up by a big publishing house. The great thing about having the internet is that so much information is available there; you just have to know what questions to ask.
You can look for your favorite authors and see who represents them, see who has published their work. Many of them will have online platforms, and you’ll find that a lot of them are so generous with information about searching for and querying agents and preparing manuscripts for publication. There’s a lot that new writers can learn (as I have been learning) about how established writers continue to build their platform and engage their readers. Another important thing that new writers should be thinking about is finding new ways to reach readers and make them experience their work. I’m a huge fan of John Green’s work, but I’m an even
manuscript the time and attention it needs to be extraordinary.
I’m all for more Filipinos writing about the Philippines, though. I think new writers should explore whatever it is in their roots, or in their active engagement with culture that captures their attention – be it food, art, music, even their daily source of hugot (emotional outburst). Each person experiences culture in
a unique way, so don’t be afraid to examine your life, to see what you can mine from there.
Batacan: I don’t really look at trends. Crime fiction encompasses such a wide spectrum – the procedural, the domestic noir, the technological or the historical mystery. As a reader, I buy books in my genre if the premise and the writing appeal to me, if there is more to the story than just cleverness. I want to read – and write – books that are truthful, that engage and interrogate society while at the same time they entertain.
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Bookwatch Vol. 20 No. 3Bookwatch Vol. 20 No. 3
bigger fan of how he engages with his fans through social media. He gives so much access to his life and his process, and I can understand why his fans love him so much.
But you don’t have to look very far to find stellar models to follow. I’m a huge fan of what our local romance authors are doing, and I keep mentioning them (Mina V. Esguerra and the rest of the #romanceclass authors, hello!) because I think it’s so great how they’re always finding new ways to reach out to more readers – from podcasts to live readings by local actors, and #feelsdays that I think are so cool, honestly. They make it easy and fun to be a romance reader, and I think that new writers of every genre should take a cue from them. They need to think of ways to grow their community of readers and make them excited to take part in the stories they create.
Batacan: I have had largely positive experiences with editors when I’ve had my work published overseas, and my work has benefited much from their guidance. I’ve heard stories about Filipino writers feeling lukewarm or unhappy about being edited, which I find puzzling. Is it ego? Is it inconvenience? I don’t know. But if someone is willing and qualified to edit your work, be grateful, and try to learn as much from the process as you can. A good editor is a great teacher.
What are your thoughts about having literary agents, or the equivalent legal representatives?
evangelista: Literary agents work hard. The best of them look out for your career’s best interest. In fact, the relationship between an agent and writer is key. Sometimes it eventually moves beyond professional into deep friendship because the writer must
know her agent’s methods and the agent must understand how her writer ticks. We live in a publishing climate where there are tons of opportunities for writers without agents.
You don’t necessarily need an agent to be published nowadays. But having one gives you an extra edge because agents open doors that don’t necessarily open for an “unagented” writer.
Sotto: If you wish to pursue the traditional publishing route, having a literary agent is a must. Traditional publishers do not accept unrepresented work. Stephanie Rostan has been my agent since 2009 and has been an integral part of my writing journey. She has helped me navigate the industry and her inputs have helped me grow as a writer. She tirelessly champions
my books to make sure that they find the best homes and meticulously negotiates my contracts so that they are fair and in my best interest. Finding an agent who will be the best fit for you and your book is the most important decision you will make in your traditional publishing career.
Lee: If you want to publish your work internationally, then you will most likely need a literary agent. Most publishing houses do not accept unsolicited manuscripts especially if these are “unagented work.” I think this is because many publishing houses and their editors consider agents as the first filters of talent, and look to agents to sift through the many authors and stories that are out there.
My experience is unique because I got offered the opportunity to publish as a
result of winning the Scholastic Asian Book Award, and that happened before I even got an agent. I do work with an agent now (I’m with Andrea Pasion-Flores under Jacaranda Literary Agency), and I feel that having her has made it easier for me to navigate the publishing process of my first book. She helped me negotiate better terms for my contract, and helped me secure rights that I was not even thinking about when I was offered my first contract; that’s part of what you’ll get when you work with an agent, too.
New writers are lucky because so many agents are open to queries. And now, you only need to do a cursory search online to find them. You can get a sense of the books they represent
there, and even find really useful guides regarding how to query them. You just need to make sure your work is a good fit with that agent’s body of work. All of that is secondary to
making sure your manuscript is ready for publication, of course. A good agent will be able to tell you if your draft needs work, before they even send them out to a editor who can really give it serious consideration.
Batacan: Having an agent can open doors for a writer, because a good agent usually has strong, long-standing relationships with publishers and editors. The agent is the writer’s advocate, not just in terms of landing a book deal but also in helping to manage the writer’s relationships with publishers, media, event organizers, and so on. I’ve been extremely fortunate with my agents at Jacaranda — the best agents, I feel, understand where you are in your life and help to ease some of the pressures that sometimes come with having your work published.
What do you think are the emerging trends in your particular fields of writing? in addition, what do you think Filipinos or those who have Filipino roots should explore in terms of themes or genres?
evangelista: As I write this, historical fiction and sci-fi are selling well. Of course, romance is a billion dollar industry and never fails. Mystery also constantly tops the bestseller lists. But writers should never chase trends because they will not be able to keep up. It takes one to two years for a traditionally published book to come out. That is from writing to editing to submission to publication. Sometimes it takes even longer.
So, if you’re chasing a trend, the trend would be over once your book comes out. And that is with the assumption that all the stars align and your manuscript isn’t rejected at any point
along the way. Of course, you can take the self-publishing route, but you also have to ask yourself: Is your book ready for publication? Because if you come up with a product that falls short, then it will be even more difficult to find your audience once you are ready to publish your next book.
I am never one to dictate what a writer should or should not do. I just state what I know to be fact at the time I am asked the question. As writers, we should write what we want to write regardless of what is currently popular.
Finishing a manuscript is hard enough as it is. If
you’re not enjoying the process, then why even continue? Have fun with it. If you write it, someone will
read it. Believe in that.
Sotto: The first thing I learned in this industry was not to look at trends because by the time you try to jump on whatever the “it” concept or genre of the moment is, it will be over. The traditional publication process is extremely long. If you sold your book to a publisher today, it will take at least a year before you will find it in stores. My advice to any writer is to write the story they want to tell regardless of what seems to be popular at the moment. Your goal shouldn’t be to write the next wizard, vampire, angel or mermaid hit. Your focus should be on bringing your own voice and thoughts to life.
Lee: As a writer, I tend not to look at trends because I feel those are so fickle. If you do that, you always run the risk of making your work perceived as less relevant, just because the market has been saturated with so many others like it. Besides, good books take time; what’s trendy now may not be so hot once you finish your manuscript. Instead, I think writers should be guided by what they’re passionate about, because then, they’ll give their
The country of my birth is the country of my greatest joys and
deepest wounds. It is the source of my hope and frustration, the
bottomless well of my anger. To love your country is to be angry
with it, to be angry with all the things that keep it from being
what it could be, and I think that is especially true for writers —
or at least, it should be.
- F.h. batacan
“ “Creative writer and journalist F.H. Batacan’s publication journey started locally, but it paved the way for her international exposure right now. Her crime novel Smaller and Smaller Circles is an engaging read to Filipinos and now, the world.
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Bookwatch Vol. 20 No. 3 Bookwatch Vol. 20 No. 3
Anthologizing the Filipinoexperience in AmericaBY LIBAY LINSANGAN CANTOR
For decades, Filipinos in America have been writing prose or poetry and collecting them in anthologies. But who is their audience, and what do they write about? A quick survey of what’s out there will reveal varied answers to these queries, as a Filipino-American anthology editor also shares with us her musings about putting up such a collection.
An anthology is a collection of works addressing specific issues
and concerns. It may be about shared experiences, lived animosities, and gathered victories. An anthology could focus on certain formats, such as essays or poetry or short stories, or it could be a combination of these formats.
In the Philippines, there are many anthologies of works to choose from, ranging from different literary genres to formats to specific themes. Outside of the Philippines, though, there are also many anthologies that exist which contain Filipino experiences from varied points of view. Many notable examples of such collections, however, come from the USA, where many active Filipino-American writers thrive. This comes as no surprise to us, of course, for the Philippines has had a longstanding relationship with America. As a former colony right after the Spanish period, we Filipinos – the so-called little brown brother –have been taught the language of the
Americans – our big white brother –and we have embraced their pop culture with gusto. Some of us bought the “American dream” being sold to us, and some of us flew out there to transform this dream into a reality. This has been happening for decades already, and it is still happening right now.
It is not surprising, then, to find a rich heritage of Filipino experiences scattered all over the Asian-American literary scene. Turn a page in an anthology produced by specific sub-populations and you will find themes that will resonate with readers sharing a parallel immigrant experience or a multicultural generational vibe. Some of these experiences are location-specific while others are collected under a specific umbrella concept.
In 2002, for example, Filipinos based in the San Francisco Bay Area came up with Seven Card Stud with Seven Manangs: An Anthology of Filipino American Writers. Edited by Helen Toribio, this essay
PUBLISHING COURSE SERIES
nBDB AnD BDAP LAUnCH
the national Book Development Board (nBDB) and the Book Development association of the Philippines (BDaP) launched yet another new program: the first of a series of publishing courses.
this pilot course consisted of three (3) subjects focusing on the fundamental aspects of publishing: history of Publishing and the Book, introduction to Publishing, and Copyright.
each class was held at the University of the Philippines’ School of economics at the Diliman, Quezon City campus.
each subject in the pilot course costs PhP1,500. a discount of 30% was offered to those registered with the nBDB or BDaP.
the course schedule was as follows:
Introduction to Publishing by the NBDB
History of Publishing and the Bookby Mr. Ramon Sunico
Copyright by Atty. F.D. Nicholas B. Pichay
June 28, 6:00PM - 9:00PMJune 30, 6:00PM - 9:00PMJuly 5, 6:00PM - 9:00PM
June 15, 6:00PM - 9:00PMJune 18, 9:00AM - 12:00PMJune 21, 6:00PM - 9:00PM
July 8, 6:00PM - 9:00PMJuly 15, 6:00PM - 9:00PMJuly 22, 6:00PM - 9:00PM
Babaylan: An Anthology of Filipina and Filipina-American Writers, was edited by Nick Carbo and Eileen R. Tabios. It is available as a paperback at the California-based distributor Small Press Distribution’s website at spdbooks.org.
collection contains the experiences of Filipinos from the East Bay chapter of the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS). It is not rare for fellow Filipinos to bond and form organizations and associations like this one, and collected writings of their lives are usually produced as projects for such formations. In 2014, the FANHS once again came out with a new anthology called Beyond Lumpia, Pansit, and Seven Manangs Wild: Stories from the Heart of Filipino Americans. Edited by Evangeline Canonizado Buell, Edwin Lozada, Eleanor Hipol Luis, Evelyn Luluquisen, Tony Robles and Myrna Zialcita, the collection narrates multicultural stories written by second, third, and even fourth generation of Filipinos living in America today. It is indeed an expansion and an update of the previous volume the organization published.
Another similar endeavor from San Francisco is the book Claiming Our Stories, a volume that accompanied a photography exhibit by Filipino-American photographer Ricardo Alvarado. Curated by his daughter Janet Alvarado under The Alvarado Project nonprofit group, the book contains historic photographs of Filipino-American life in San Francisco since the post-World War II era. Filipino-American writers also contributed notes in the book which contains the late Alvarado’s iconic photo collection.
Some anthologies talk about language extensively, or use language as a jumping off point of identifying one’s place in the map. Be it the global map or the country map, Filipino writers outside of the Philippines make
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their mark predominantly using English. An earlier example is 1996’s anthology of poetry called Returning A Borrowed Tongue: An Anthology of Filipino and Filipino American Poetry edited by Nick Carbo. This volume is an interesting look at how Filipinos harness this “borrowed tongue” and utilize the English language in writing about Filipino experiences. It’s not exactly using the master’s tools to dismantle the master’s house, as Audre Lorde once put it, but perhaps it’s more of using the master’s tools and re-appropriating them to build a newer – and perhaps re-imagined – house. In 2004, Carbo edited another volume entitled Pinoy Poetics: A Collection of Autobiographical and Critical Essays on Filipino and Filipino American Poetics. While he’s now based in Spain, Carbo’s edited anthologies have been published in
America and are available there (also worldwide, since one can order them online). And if we’re going to talk about re-imagining, the US-based poet Eileen Tabios, credited as the inventor of the “hay(na)ku” poetic form, could also be found mentioned in various hay(na)ku anthology projects crediting her with this innovation. To quote her blog: “The hay(na)ku is a 21st century poetic form invented by Eileen R. Tabios. It is a six-word tercet with the first line being one word, the second line being two words, and the third line being three words. Since its public inauguration, poets around the world have used the form, and published the results in books, anthologies and literary journals. Poets also have created text and visual variations of the form, including the popular ‘chained hay(na)ku’ which strings together more than one tercet as well as the reverse hay(na)ku where the word count is reversed.”
While some anthologies are area-specific, some are gender-specific. An example of this is Going Home to a Landscape: Writings by Filipinas edited by Marianne Villanueva and Virginia Cerenio, published in 2003 by Calyx Books. Around 52 contributors wrote about life as a Filipino woman making or marking a difference in the diaspora, and it contains a combination of haunting prose and lyrical poetry. A similar project was published in 2000 by Aunt Lute Books called Babaylan: An Anthology of Filipina and Filipina American Writers edited by Nick Carbo and Eileen Tabios. Indeed, as the experiences resonate with Filipinos in the Philippines and abroad, these collections try to bridge the gap between the motherland and the land they now call home.
But of course, writers write things outside of their experiences as well, and we can see these in several anthologies that, once again, mix the shared thoughts of Filipinos based in the homeland and abroad, while tackling specific themes that haunt them or interest them. One such anthology is called Kuwento: Lost Things, An Anthology of New Philippine Myths co-edited by Rachelle Cruz and Melissa Sipin and published in 2015 by Carayan Press. Another example is the Akashic Books noir series, where a volume entitled Manila Noir was published in 2013 and edited by acclaimed Filipino-American writer Jessica Hagedorn.
Speaking of Hagedorn, of course it’s but apt to mention her two edited anthologies of Asian-American writings which gripped the conversation of the Asian-American experience and thrust it out there, ever so boldly, to expose garden-variety racism and stereotyping that befall Asians in America, including Filipinos, and to encourage intersecting discourses on identity, culture, history, and memory. The first volume entitled Charlie Chan is Dead: An Anthology of Contemporary Asian American Fiction was published by Penguin Books in 1993 and the
Some of the authors included in Kuwento: Lost Things, An Anthology of New Philippine Myths co-edited by Rachelle Cruz and Melissa Sipin are Dean Francis and Nikki Alfar, M. Evelina Galang, Veronica Montes, Zosimo Quibilan, Catherine Torres, Rebecca Mabanglo-Mayor, Sarah Gambito, Vince Gotera, Barbara Jane Reyes, and Brian Ascalon Roley, to name a few. The book’s cover was designed by Eliseo Art Silva.
Manila Noir, an anthology edited by Jessica Hagedorn and published by New York-based Akashic Books, is a winner of the National Book Award in the Philippines for best anthology. It is widely available in print form and as an e-book. Some of the writers included here are Gina Apostol, Lourd De Veyra, Angelo Lacuesta, Marianne Villanueva, Jose Dalisay Jr. and Sabina Murray.
Contemporary Fiction by Filipinos in America was published by Anvil in 1997. Some of the authors included here are Fatima Lim-Wilson, John L. Silva, Luis Cabalquinto, Mar V. Puatu, Oscar Peñaranda, Nadine Sarreal, Linda Ty-Casper, and Alma Jill Dizon.
The literary webzine Our Own Voice: Beyond Homeland, is a project founded by US-based writer Remé-Antonia Grefalda in 2001. You can visit the site at oovrag.com.
second is entitled Charlie Chan is Dead 2: At Home in the World, still published by Penguin Books in 2004.
The internet also changed the landscape of connectivity for Filipinos based abroad, especially in putting out works written by them. Using this new technology, there have also been several online webzines that shared the objectives of the print anthology creators in reaching out to an audience and making their voices heard. One such endeavor is the aptly named Our Own Voice (www.oovrag.com), a webzine that has been in existence since 2001. It has been strictly a literary journal that featured works which narrate Filipino experiences in the diaspora, preferably written by Filipinos based anywhere in the world (not just America), but it has currently been rebooted to become wider in scope and reach. Now called Our Own Voice: Beyond Homeland, its founding editor, US-based writer Remé-Antonia Grefalda, mentioned that its content now encompasses more global experiences that not only cater to the Filipino heritage but to other types of heritage that crossed the lands and seas, much like Filipinos in the diaspora did. Its latest issue features excerpts from the writings of authors of Thai, Vietnamese, and Filipino heritage, among others.
* * *
So what does it take to create such an anthology, and how is it possible to gather varied voices and collect them under one volume? Another anthology editor, novelist and essayist Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, shared with us her thoughts on the matter.
A California-based writer of Cebuano heritage, Brainard travels frequently to the Philippines where she still enjoys literary connections and publication deals. “I really had fun editing the collections Fiction by Filipinos in America, Contemporary Fiction by Filipinos in America, Growing Up Filipino: Stories for Young Adults, and Growing Up Filipino: More Stories for Young Adults. I did these books in response to some need that I perceived. Let me explain. For instance, Fiction by Filipinos in America came about because of my attempts to find an anthology by Filipino American writers to help me improve my own writing. When I could not find such an anthology I proposed doing the book to Mrs. Rodriguez, my publisher at New Day (in the Philippines), and she welcomed the idea. That was how that book came about. It’s a fine collection that includes works by such established writers as Carlos Bulosan, Bienvenido N. Santos, Linda Ty-Casper, NVM Gonzalez, as well as emerging writers. Contemporary Fiction
It’s not easy to become a writer no matter where you are. having said that, I have to add that there are specific challenges that so-called ‘minority writers’ deal with in America. There are
creative questions to consider: Which language to use, what topics to write about, what characters to populate your stories with?
These questions relate to what market the writers hope to reach, and what publishers they hope to get.
- Cecilia manguerra brainard
“ “
that really doesn’t need my input?”
Regardless of where we are in the world, we Filipinos still need the support of one another, especially when it comes to encouraging the growth of our own literature. Be it the literature of Filipinos based elsewhere or based in the homeland, one thing is clear: our experiences are unique to us, and we need to share them with the world.
As Brainard concludes, labels identifying who we are as Filipinos sometimes function beyond culture. Labels could be initial connections, and what we do with these connections is what’s more important. “I think the ties between Filipinos in America and elsewhere and Filipinos in the Philippines are tight and intertwined, and we are all interested in knowing what literatures are being produced by our brothers and sisters everywhere. It’s the same consciousness. In the end, the ‘tags’ of ‘Filipino’ or ‘Filipino American’ blend and merge because writers can and will write about topics dear to them. It happens that quite a number of Filipino American writers (or Filipino writers in America) have written (or edited) books that are relevant to Filipinos everywhere. These
works contribute to the understanding of Filipinos in the Philippines and elsewhere. These works should be read by Filipinos anywhere in the world.”
fortunate in being able to get my work in print.”
Discussing writer classifications in relation to markets and audiences, we asked Brainard if there are specific definitions of what makes up “Filipino-American literature.” Seeing from the previous examples of anthologies we shared, it is indeed hard to pin down specific characteristics while at the same time, it is somehow “easy” to spot similarities in these anthologies. “I am not sure anyone has defined what Filipino American writing is; I am not sure anyone has successfully defined who Filipino Americans are. Many are still bickering about who the true Filipino American is. At some point, some said only those born in the US were the real Filipino Americans. Of course the immigrants ignore this definition.”
She continues, “It is impossible to pin down who Filipino Americans are, and it is just as difficult to define what Filipino American writing is, but here are some thoughts about this question. There are many topics that Filipino American writers tackle in their creative attempts to understand themselves and their place in America. The early Filipino writers in America like Carlos Bulosan, Ben Santos, and NVM Gonzalez had stories with purely Filipino themes (i.e. set in the Philippines) but they also had stories (some of them famous) about Filipinos in America – what one can call Filipino American themes. What comes to my mind is the story ‘The Romance of Magno Rubio’ by Carlos Bulosan about a simple Filipino worker, a manong (elderly man) who gets involved with an American gold-digger. Linda Ty-Casper, Ninotchka Rosca, Jessica Hagedorn, and I have written stories that explore historical events in the Philippines. There is something about living in America that prodded me into studying Philippine history as well as my own personal history – a curiosity was aroused, a desire to know where I came
Cebu-born editor-writer Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, author of When The Rainbow Goddess Wept (published in the Philippines, US, and Turkey), enjoys connections with Philippine publishers supportive of the anthology collections she puts out. Her latest novel, The Newspaper Widow, will be published by the University of Santo Tomas Publishing House. Her small US publication business, Philippine-American Literary House, is also focused on coming out with anthologies by fellow Filipino-American authors. To be released in 2017 are Linda Ty-Casper’s A River, One Woman Deep and Veronica Montes’ Benedicta Takes Wing.
The young adult anthology Growing Up Filipino: Stories for Young Adults and its local counterpart published by Anvil contain short stories written by Filipinos based in the Philippines and abroad. Growing Up Filipino II: More Stories for Young Adults is its 2010 sequel. All editions are available in print and can be purchased online via Amazon.Com or the Anvil website anvilpublishing.com.
Filipino. After it came out and received excellent mainstream reviews, Anvil expressed interest in a Philippine edition. Growing Up Filipino: More Stories by Young Adults is an offshoot of the first Growing Up Filipino. This book also received excellent reviews.
I have learned a lot from editing these books, and I also had the great pleasure of being in close contact with numerous writers. It is gratifying that these books remain in print and are used in schools.”
As a writer in the diaspora straddling two cultures (or even more), there would always be challenges when it comes to curating content. Brainard shares with us her thoughts on being a writer ensconced
in such a place and space. “It’s not easy to become a writer no matter where you are. Having said that, I have to add that there are specific challenges that so-called ‘minority writers’ deal with in America. There are creative questions to consider: Which language to use, what topics to write about, what characters to populate your stories with? These questions relate to what market the writers hope to reach, and what publishers they hope to get. Regardless of their ethnic background, some writers may decide to write of white protagonists with mainstream themes. I know a black writer who has done so and is successful commercially. He writes of white characters, living in white neighborhoods, with white conflicts. You wouldn’t know from his writings that he has an African American background.”
Like any other writer struggling for publication space, one common thing hounds authors regardless of race or ethnicity: markets. Brainard expounds on this further. “These creative choices by writers may have something to do with the market and publishers in the US. Obviously the majority of readers are WASPs (White Anglo-Saxon Protestants) and they are the
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by Filipinos in America grew from that first collection and was published by Karina Bolasco at Anvil Publishing (in the Philippines).”
Much like the previously mentioned anthologies by other editors, Brainard also saw a thematic need that needed to be addressed, and her two literary collections tried to contribute in hopefully removing an obvious invisibility. “The young adult anthologies came about when I learned both in the US and in the Philippines (that) there is a lack of books for our young adults. I collected, edited, and published Growing Up
ones who make up the bulk of the buyers of magazines and books. Since publishing is generally a business, this means that editors have to cater to these buyers and print the stories and articles that these readers want. Following this logic further, writings by ‘ethnic writers’ have a limited market and they have a harder time finding publishers. Those are some of the headaches that minority writers in America deal with.”
Applying these challenges and restrictions in her own life, Brainard tries to go beyond the perception of the audience while trying to strike a balance on what publishers might be looking for. “As a Filipino writer in the US, I’ve had to look at these issues and make decisions about my own writing. I write in English for an international readership. If I include some Tagalog or Cebuano words, I am aware that some people may not understand them and I have to weigh the matter – how important is it to have that Cebuano or Tagalog word in there? I’ll throw these ‘foreign’ words in for local color and for artistic reasons, but I don’t flood my work with them so that my readers don’t get confused or stumble over too many of these words. I have decided that what is worth my time is to write about what is close to my heart and not try to write something for (maybe) commercial success. Most of my stories therefore explore my Filipino and Filipino American experiences. It has been difficult to market these stories and books in the US because of the business repercussions of my decision to stick with these ‘non-marketable’ topics, but I’ve been
It is impossible to pin down who Filipino Americans
are, and it is just as difficult to define what Filipino
American writing is. There are many topics that Filipino
American writers tackle in their creative attempts to
understand themselves and their place in America.
- Cecilia manguerra brainard
“ “from. Perhaps like the saying goes, I realized it’s important to know where you came from in order to know where you’re going.”
Seeing the newer batch of anthologies penned by Filipinos in the diaspora, Brainard also mentions the themes of “going out of the roots box” that some writers have been doing. “I should add that I and other so-called Filipino American writers do not necessarily write exclusively of the Filipino experience. We may be inspired to look at the diaspora of the Filipino and write stories of their personal experiences in the United States and other countries, for example. But we may also write of any topic that will fascinate us, because the bottom line is that writers have imagination and can ‘get into the heads’ of any character that captivates them. I am aware, however, that western culture has a surplus of stories that are widely circulated whereas Philippine and Philippine American stories do not. If I am tempted to write about a white protagonist, I think of this. Unless I feel compelling passion for the topic, I will generally drop it because writing takes time and energy, so why should I contribute to a body of work
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Insights about theOnline Publishing World
BY RICHARD RAMOS
The international publishing scene is currently experiencing a kind of transmedia platform crossing, mainly from print to digital means—and even vice versa. We caught up with Alvin Juban, president of the Game Developers Association of the Philippines, to hear his insights about digital content publishing issues before he flies to the Frankfurt Book Fair to talk about these topics.
Whether publishers are prepared or not, it is time to think about going digital. But the idea of digital
publishing has many issues in itself, be the work an electronic file version of the book itself, or if it is a game or interactive program based on the author’s work.
Alvin Juban is one of the seasoned veterans of the local digital world. He is the three-term president of the Game Developer’s Association of the Philippines (GDAP) and board member of the Animation Council. Alvin’s unique experiences and insights are the reasons why he was invited to speak at The Markets: Global Publishing Summit in this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair. He is currently a consultant on Industry Relations for Synergy88 Digital, Inc. Group of Companies.
When Bookwatch contacted him for an interview, he immediately made time – and invited us to sit and have some barbecue with him at one of his preferred hangouts after work.
BW: How were you invited to the Markets?
Alvin Juban: [Frankfurt] Book Fair had been working closely with NBDB. We had a no-agenda meeting; it was more about learning what we represented in our industry, which was games, apps, animation, and our capabilities.
BW: What do you think about digital and traditional publishing? For example, from basic electronic copies to interactive applications?
AJ: My stand is that I don’t want to say that traditional publishing will be dead – no! I love books, I love printed books. But we have to open ourselves to the digital side. The world is going very digital, especially on the side of the masses. We have to open ourselves to that possibility. We can actually reach more people with digital. It’s the most common platform we have right now. We just have to accept it.
BW: Given the internet demographics for the Philippines, what would be the first target market, or audience, that would take to digital publishing, be it standard text or interactive?
AJ: Definitely, what everybody is trying to capture in the Philippines is the 18-24 market. If there is any target that
we want to reach, that would be the demographic. It’s actually the best all across – if you talk about the BPO industry. It’s all across, if you’re talking about talent. If I were a publisher, I’d be aiming at the same market; this will be the market that will be gainfully employed. And as a publisher, that gives them the capability of actually purchasing digital products and materials. I don’t think you’re going to publish freely; you’re going to think of how to earn from what you publish.This would be the most economically viable market. These are the people with actually some cash to spare. And these are the most connected people.
BW: Do you see any major difference in the publishing process between traditional and digital publishing, from writer, to publisher, to output? or would it be following similar lines?
AJ: There would have to be some minimal adjustments to come out with digital versions, I think. But no, I think it’s mostly understanding the UI – the user interface – when transforming printed material to a digital interface. You have to understand the limits of the device, because now everything is going to smaller screens. There have to be adjustments in format. I think it’s minimal, very minimal.
BW: We’re sure you know that the majority of Philippine users are already on mobile, but not necessarily on iPads. it’s more of mobile phones. Given that, and the smaller price bucket, do you see the proliferation of texts like romance novellas and other shorter works? Would that be the way to go?
AJ: I think everybody right now has more of a Facebook orientation for reading material: short, punchy.
BW: Yes, similar to Wattpad, or fan fiction sites. But with that orientation, how do you think long-form works would make the transition to the digital world,
considering what we know of the preference for shorter content?
AJ: For long-form content, I still cannot answer. I guess we’ll figure it out as we begin this journey. I just believe at this stage, as we go to digital, the short form will be vastly more consumable, and vastly more powerful.
BW: What would you do you think if the approach was like a teleserye (Filipino tV soap opera) – per chapter?AJ: That would be what we call in gaming as “episodic.” That would be perfect, as that would go in very well into the subscription mode. A lot of games
I don’t want to say that traditional publishing will be dead – no! I love
printed books. but we have to open ourselves to the digital side.
The world is going very digital, especially on the side of the masses.
We have to open ourselves to that possibility. We can actually reach
more people with digital. It’s the most common platform we have
right now. We just have to accept it.
“ “
right now are on subcription method. That would be something that we should really try – with the cooperation of the telcos [telecommunication companies or corporations].
BW: We’ll get back to the subject of telcos later; now, what do you think is the more practical end-result of mixing traditional publishing with interactive elements?
AJ: The big problem that we do have in gaming right now is that we have a vast lack of content. And everybody has been wanting and screaming that we produce our own IP [intellectual property]. A lot of our companies are actually outsourcing, which is good, but of course that has a limit as well. We really want to create a better mobile economy, have a better internet and e-commerce economy for our country.
We want to potentially earn more. And local content is best taken from people who have been writing for the longest time, the most experienced ones.
And that’s another reason for people to get together and ask, how can we make our own stories more interactive? Can we “gamify” it? Can we turn it into a game? Yes, we can talk about it – that can and should be done. I mean seriously, most of the games I see right now, these are just reused stories, taken from games made abroad. There’s nothing really from the ethnically Filipino.
BW: Let’s go back to an earlier point. What does the Philippines need in its own telecommunications structure to actually make this [digital publishing] work? And how do traditional publishing companies work with that infrastructure?
AJ: We should all stick to our core competencies. We are developers; let us develop. We should work with publishers because they create the content, and then we can develop together. The telcos, I believe they should concentrate on just giving giving good service as a telco.
Now, one of the problems we’ve always had is the revenue sharing. In the Philippines, for the longest time, the revenue is shared. For example, if you sell an app, or an app meant for
Alvin Juban
And the content developers, if they put the right content on the digital platform - if you think about it - they carry a very, very big potential for responsibility. They should really make a difference. People are going to consume it. I’m into games, and I know for a fact that the Filipinos who are on digital consume more social content than gaming. It’s a fact.
So, you see, this opportunity, it’s either they try to make more profit as a business using the negative storytelling type, or if you’re brave enough, you can make a positive spin on things. This is the same thing I would like to tell the people who make TV [shows or content].
Remember that it’s a fact that we will only retain eight percent of what we’ve learned, and most of the education our children will get comes from TV and movies – and everything else, they read.
So you want to make a difference? It’s in your stories.
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37
a feature phone or a smart phone, the sharing has been traditionally 70 percent for the telco – to the peso – and 30 for the developer. Now, that puts us at a great disadvantage, because I’m creating the content, you know, but only get thirty percent, minus some other taxes. There’s barely anything that going to come to me. It’s a great disadvantage.
Now, for example, in Japan, which consumes a LOT of content, whether it be gaming or social [media content] using the telcos, they have a simple principle: all telcos can only take 15 percent, period.
Provide me the platform, and we will build stuff for you.
BW: So you need the element of profitability.
AJ: At that point, it becomes profitable for developers like us. But at 70-30, that’s a bit unfair. If they stick to 15 percent, so many will shift to digital. There’s no bigger way to create a profit.
BW: Let’s say a traditional publication will want to explore digital, and then they ask you,
“So how do we do this?” off the top of your head, what would you tell them?
AJ: Take a leap of faith with us. Don’t be so adamant. Try the experiment with us. Don’t be too combative, and don’t ask for too much. Let’s help each other; we have to work together to create this market. Ask for more later. Let’s join together. Try the possiblity of joining us in the revenue share model. We both carry a risk - the usual stance is up-front guarantee. We’re not there yet.
BW: to content creators, what is your advice about the digital publishing model?
AJ: Hmmm. Is this on a personal level?
BW: You can do that, yes.
AJ: Good stories. There is actually a lot of miseducation that has been going on for years. We’re proud that we speak some English, and that we have been educated with some sense. But we’ve wasted a lot of opportunities. There will be a lot of correction to do.
And I would like to ask all these content developers to creat good stories to positively influence our youth. That is the proper target market we’re looking for, right?
What I’m saying is – and I know a lot of people will dislike this – we should teach better stories. Let’s avoid writing content using jejemon [local youth-identified crude street slang], let’s not limit ourselves. Not everything has to be written in tabloid style. It will take more than a supernatural president, it will take ordinary youth, ordinary people to actually make this change.
I would like to ask all these
content developers to creat
good stories to positively
influence our youth. That is
the proper target market
we’re looking for, right?”
“ “
Take a leap of faith with
us. Don’t be so adamant.
Try the experiment with
us. Don’t be too combative,
and don’t ask for too much.
Let’s help each other; we
have to work together to
create this market.”
“ “RIGHTS EXCHANGE FORUM
nBDB AnD BDAP HoST
On September 15, 2016, the national Book Development Board (nBDB), in partnership with the Book Development association of the Philippines (BDaP), hosted a one-day forum on rights exchange during the 37th Manila international Book Fair in Meeting rooms 5 & 6 at the SMX Convention Center.
the rights exchange Forum, which ran from 9:00 aM until 4:00 PM, aims to spur business transactions between and among industry players. it provided a venue for content creators to interact with prospective publishers, as well as for publishers looking to develop content and trade licenses.
the morning lectures and discussions composed of the following:
Speakers: Andrea Pasion-Flores, Literary Agent
of Jacaranda Literary Agency and former NBDB
Executive Director; Hasri Hasan, Director of
Malaysia’s Kota Buku (Book Market); Laura Prinsloo,
Chairperson of Indonesian National Book Committee
Speakers: Andrea Pasion-Flores and Laura Prinsloo
Speakers: Hasri Hasan; Tanya Yuson, Partner/Producer
at Kawi Content; Ng Kah Gay, Editor at Ethos Books
aSean, asia, World trends in Content and trading
9:30 aM
10:45 aM
11:30 aM
Briefer on rights and rights trading and preparing for Frankfurt Book Fair
Looking at Licensing for Books and transmedia
From 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM, participants had 15 minutes with his or her chosen publisher or speaker to ask specific questions on publishing, pitch ideas, sell manuscripts, or trade licenses. Participants met with andrea Pasion-Flores, hasri hasan, Laura Prinsloo, tanya Yuson, adarna house, ateneo de Manila University Press, Lampara/ Precious hearts romances, University of the Philippines Press and the University of Santo tomas Publishing house to discuss business opportunities.
I see it in big bookstores; they use more and more space for children’s books and young adult literature – it’s positive. What is negative is that scientific and educational literature is not doing as well, because everyone copies from the internet now, and because of illegal downloading. Publishers aren’t able to publish as many titles in those genres, and that is going down.
BW: As the head of the Czech Booksellers’ and Publishers’ Association, what is your vision for your association? What are your plans and goals for the future of the organization?
MV: I started three years ago, and our organization was very obscure. The biggest companies were not members, so it was hard for people to take us seriously. Now, it is different; the big publishers are members, and we represent 80 percent of the market.
It is important that the government – The Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Finance – is speaking
But I must say that there is some kind of nationalism started now, like with the issue of the European Union, and the refugee crisis. These opened the question, and Czech people aren’t ready for this kind of politics.
BW: What are the taboo topics for your local culture – and which ones do you address, regardless?
MV: It’s a very interesting question, but my answer is: there is no taboo. I don’t feel any taboo. Of course, as the artist, one will have some.
For me, it is my family. I don’t use experiences from close people, from people I love. I don’t want to destroy my connections with them. So I don’t write about those. But that is only my decision.
BW: Are you familiar with any Filipino works? And are there Filipino writers who have gained an audience in Czech Republic?
MV: Not yet, but after this experience, I hope to discuss some possibilities of publishing some [Filipino] authors.
with us. The situation when I started was that the local tax was at 15 percent, and that the year after, it would be 19 percent. I started negotiations with the new government, and now we do not have 19, but 10 percent. We hope that in the future that it will be even lower. It’s my best solution.
We also have 6,000 libraries for 10 million people, and we are now discussing compensation for publishers in that matter. It’s hard for publishers when people can just borrow a book from the library. We are now trying to have one Crown [editor’s note: one Koruna or Crown, is equal to PhP 2 or USD .041] for the publisher, and one Crown for the writer whenever a book is borrowed. The number of borrowed books is 60 million a year, and we publish 30 million books a year. It is very important.
The last one is that we try to receive more support for important literary works from the government. This includes grants, including those for translation.
BW: How do you grapple with nationalist themes in Czech literature?
MV: I think that now, in Czech literature, writers write what they want. They don’t reflect nationalist issues in Czech. They ask sometimes if someone will write about communism, for example.
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one positive trend (in Czech literature) is that more and
more children’s literature is being published, and that
people really want to buy. now, it’s 12 percent of our market;
six years ago, that was seven percent.
“ “
MARTIN VOPĚNKA The SToryTeller & hiS MounTainS
Global Visitor
BY RICHARD RAMOS
At the recently held Manila International Book Fair (MIBF), Bookwatch had the pleasure of meeting foreign writers gracing our land. We caught up with Czech writer Martin Vopěnka and asked his views about publishing procedures and content insights from the other side of the globe.
It is rare that one meets a former nuclear engineer who has become
a writer. It is unique to meet one who is also the President of the Czech Booksellers’ and Publishers’ Association. Such is the case with Martin Vopěnka, who was in town during the 37th Manila International Book Fair (MIBF). He had with him a special run of his book, A Girl and a Soul: Fairytales from the Mountain. The book is an English translation of the original work, and, as Mr. Vopěnka says, it will actually be released before the run in the Czech Republic.
Bookwatch was able to sit down with Mr. Vopěnka while the fair was going on, and he gave his thoughts on the book, publishing, nationalism, and taboos.
BW: What is A Girl and a Soul about?
MV: This is a shorter version of what will be published in the Czech Republic. It involves eight stories, but the Czech version will have 14 stories, and will be a colorful hardback book. This release is also translated into English. My [stories’] details are situated in the mountains, which look like mountains in Europe, but I think they [the stories] will have something in common [for everyone]. They are more [about] philosophical, ecological
problems, environmental problems. The heroes are mostly animals living in the mountains, but the tales reflect the modern lore. The main stories are told by Raven, a storyteller. I think this shorter edition represents the spirit of all the stories.
BW: When it comes to book publishing, how does the process work, in a compressed or relatively simplified process, in Czech republic? Given what you may have seen or observed here in Manila, what are the big differences?
MV: There was a special situation. During the Communist period, all publishing houses were government-operated – and there were not many publishing houses. But it dramatically changed after the fall of the Communist regime in 1989, when freedom came and we started our business. I was 27 when I started my own company, and I knew nothing about this profession.
Of course after 25 years, now it’s a classic market; smaller ones [publishing companies] are being bought by bigger ones. I publish about 40 titles per year. The Czech market has 10 million people, and many of them are readers.
Our writers are admired in society, and are admired for [their contributions to] Czech nationalism. The tradition [of
reading in the Czech Republic] is very good, and now the industry publishes 17,000 titles per year. Sometimes it’s not so good, because it can be difficult to sell many copies. Now, it’s not so easy to survive for some publishers.
But still, there are many Czech publishers. If you are an artist there, you still have a better position than someone who is from a foreign country.
BW: What are the big differences that you have observed between the Czech and Philippine markets?
MV: I must say that our international book fair is much bigger. The space we use is four times bigger [compared to the MIBF here in SMX]. But I am positively surprised that so many people are coming in and buying so many books. People here buy 10 books or more! In our book fair, people are more looking [rather than buying].
BW: Which genres are popular in Czech republic? What trends do you see now, both locally in the Czech republic and globally?
MV: One positive trend is that more and more children’s literature is being published, and that people really want to buy. Now, it’s 12 percent of our market; six years ago, that was seven percent.
The author with his work. Photo by Mr. Jan Vytopil, courtesy of Czech Embassy Manila.
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SELECTED &Upcoming TitlesRecently Released
Si Dru at ang Kuwento ng Limang KaharianClara Ngtranslated by Nanoy RafaelAdarna HouseNovember 2016
1YoUNG aDULt FIctIoN
Ang Lakambini at Ako Becky BravoAdarna HouseNovember 2016
Ang Maraming Ngalanni EmilioWeng CahilesAdarna HouseNovember 2016
Estrellita, the Little Wishing StarMay Tobias-PapaAdarna HouseNovember 2016
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chILDREN’S BookS
After LambanaEliza Victoria and Mervin Malonzo Visprint Inc.November 2016
DollyTrizha KhoAdarna HouseNovember 2016
MelägBong RedilaAdarna HouseNovember 2016
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GRaPhIc LItERatURE100 Questions Vol. 1Kata Garcia, Emylou Infante,and Liwliwa Malabed Adarna HouseNovember 2016
100 Questions Vol. 2Alai Agadulin, Javier Asuncion, Victoria Bravo, Kata Garcia, Emylou Infante, Glenda Oris, May Tobias-Papa, and Cynthia VillafrancaAdarna HouseNovember 2016
Ano ang nasa Loob ng Eroplano?David WestAdarna HouseNovember 2016
Ano ang nasa Loob ng Tren?David WestAdarna HouseNovember 2016
Navel n. the central pointof a placeRica Bolipata-SantosUniversity of Santo Tomas Publishing HouseNovember 2016
What Kids Should Know about Filipino Food Felice Prudente Sta. MariaAdarna HouseNovember 2016
Writing Naked: A MemoirArnie Quibranza MejiaUniversity of Santo Tomas Publishing HouseOctober 2016
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NoN-FIctIoNImpiyerno (a translation of Dante’s Inferno)Resty Ceña Visprint Inc.October 2016
FictionaryJenny OrtuosteUniversity of Santo Tomas Publishing HouseNovember 2016
The Fish Pearl and Other Stories Antonio EnriquezUniversity of Santo Tomas Publishing HouseNovember 2016
Sanga sa Basang Lupa at Iba Pang KuwentoJim Pascual AgustinUniversity of Santo Tomas Publishing HouseNovember 2016
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FIctIoN
Alternatibo sa Alternatibong Mundo: 13 Meta/Mala KuwentoEgay Calabia SamarVisprint, Inc.October 2016
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ScIENcE FIctIoN
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Indie Cinema at mga Sanaysay sa Topograpiya ng Pelikula ng PilipinasRolando B. TolentinoNovember 2016
Kabataang Kulturang Popular at mga Sanaysay sa Kartograpiyang Disaster at Aktibismo sa FilipinasRolando B. TolentinoNovember 2016
Learning from the Filipino Diaspora: Lessons of Resistance and Critical InterventionE. San Juan, Jr.November 2016
New Media at mga Sanaysay sa Platitude ng Bagong Objek ng Media at Mediasyon sa FilipinasRolando B. TolentinoNovember 2016
Tatlong Dula: AdaptasyonRody VeraDecember 2016
The Camino Real to Freedom and Other Notes on Philippine History and CultureJose Victor Z. TorresDecember 2016
To the People Sitting in Darkness… and Other Footnotes of Our PastJose Victor TorresNovember 2016
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othERSUniversity of Santo Tomas Publishing House
Earth and Life Science: Knowing and Understanding NatureRey Donne S. Papa, PhD, Donna May Dela Cruz-Papa, RMT, MS, Jonathan Carlo A. Briones, PhD, Dino T. Tordesillas, MSOctober 2016
Mathematics Skills for LifeCorazon F. Regacho, MS, Engr. Josephine Bernadette M. Benjamin, MS, Serano L. Oryan, PhDOctober 2016
Media and Information Literacy: Empower the Discerning AudiencesJose Reuben Q. Alagaran II, PhDOctober 2016
Probability, Statistics and Application for Senior High School Shirlee R. Ocampo, PhD, Regina M. Tresvalles, PhDOctober 2016
Reading and Writing in the Academe and the WorkplaceCamilla D.J. Vizconde, Honorata S. Dayao, Jeffrey V. EngraciaOctober 2016
Tan-aw 11: Komunikasyon at Pananaliksik sa Wika at Kulturang PilipinoRoberto D. Ampil, PhD, Wennielyn F. FajilanOctober 2016
Tan-aw 11: Pagbasa at Pagsusuri ng Iba’t-Ibang Teksto Tungo sa PananaliksikRoberto D. Ampil, PhD, Amur Mayor-Asuncion, EdD, Elenita C. Mendoza, MAOctober 2016
Towards an Understanding and Appreciation of the Philosophy of the Human PersonJove Jim S. Aguas, PhDOctober 2016
Voices: 21st Century Philippine Literature from the Philippines and the WorldLuciana L. Urquiola, PhD, Ma. Juana P. Lacuata, EdDOctober 2016
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tExtBookSAbiva Publishing House Inc.
