A long list of successful writers trace their roots back to the Philippines. Examples include Insurrecto and La Tercera author Gina Apostol and bestselling young-adult novelist Melissa de la Cruz. Meawhilie, Lualhati Bautista never left the country and died at her home last year in the Philippines. Bautista’s memorable novels include Dekada ’70 (Decade ’70) and Bata, Bata, Pa’no Ka Ginawa? (Child, Child… How were you made?).
Here in Vancouver, Massy Arts Society will do its part to promote Filipinx literature and poetry by presenting the city’s first Filipino-Canadian Book Festival. As part of the Collingwood Days celebration, the first two days will take place on Friday (July 12) and Saturday (July 13) in the Multipurpose Room of Collingwood Neighbourhood House Annex (3690 Vanness Avenue). The final day is on Sunday (July 14) at Massy Arts Gallery in the Ming Wo Building (23 East Pender Street).
Writers will discuss how they’ve introduced shared histories of colonization into their storytelling.
The festival will open at 4 p.m. on Friday with a message from Knowledge Keeper Audrey Siegl. That will be followed by a youth-led event at 4:30. Next up will be open mic session at 6:10 with authors of Magdaragat: An Anthology of Filipino-Canadian Writing.
“The title alludes to our experience of being ‘voyageurs of the sea’—being travellers from our small rivers to the vast oceans of other lands, albeit not by ship in all cases but mostly transported by modern means of transportation,” Magdaragat co-editor Teodoro Alcuitas told Pancouver last year.
The festival will offer an array of events from panels with published Filipinx authors to informative workshops to help the next generation of Filipinx storytellers.
Fest presents Filipinx author Catherine Hernandez
For example, writers Tessa Barbosa, Samantha Garner, Roselle Lim, and K.S. Villoso will participate in a panel discussion at 11:30 on Saturday, entitled “World-building and Cultural Research for Storytelling”.
That will be followed at 12:45 p.m. by “Writing Between the Lines”, featuring Christine Añonuevo, Jennilee Austria-Bonifacio, C.E. Gatchalian, and Vincent Ternida.
Poetry takes centre-stage at 3:15 in a discussion about ways in which writers can active their art toward liberation. Speakers include Jim Agapito, Hari Alluri, Rina Garcia Chua, Kawika Guillermo / Chris Patterson, and Catherine Hernandez.
The next session, starting at 4:30, will focus on playwrighting and publishing. Director and playwright Davey Calderon, poet and translator Karla Comanda, playwright Kamila Sediego, and actor Carmela Sison will be on the panel. Sediego wrote Homecoming, a play about Filipinx identity that premiered at the Cultch earlier this year.
Hernandez will then deliver the keynote address at 4:30 p.m. Hernandez’s novel Scarborough was shortlisted for the Toronto Book Awards, Evergreen Forest of Reading Award, Edmund White Award, and Trillium Book Award. It was also a finalist in Canada Reads 2022.
Meanwhile, the author’s more recent The Story of Us, was listed as one of the Globe and Mail’s top books to read in 2023.
Hernandez’s biography describes the author as “a proud queer woman who is of Filipino, Spanish, Chinese and Indian descent”. Following the keynote speech, Hernandez will be honored with the CanDila Award for contributions to the Filipinx community and highlighting its stories.
Final day includes hybrid panel
On Sunday at Massy Arts, the festival will have COVID-19 protocols in place. This means masks are mandatory and organizers recommend that visitors wear N95 respirators to offer the best protection. Moreover, they encourage anyone with symptoms to remain at home.
The final day will include a hybrid panel connecting authors from the festival with participants at Salaysay, which is an East Coast literary festival. There will also be an interactive workshop and an open-mic session on Sunday before Siegl returns for the closing ceremony.
The entire festival provides an amazing opportunity to dive into the rich community of Filipino literature. And the best part is, it’s completely free!
With files from Jorelle Almeda, Carlito Pablo, and Charlie Smith.
For more information on the Filipino-Canadian Book Festival, visit the Massy Arts Society website. Follow Pancouver on Twitter @PancouverMedia and on Instagram @PancouverMedia.
