A month for authors and their admirers

For admirers of Philippine literature, September has always been marked by literary events, and not just because it begins with the awarding of winners of the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature. But for this year, this month is shaping up to be quite a busy one, particularly in the first half.

Last Tuesday, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) held a ceremony kicking off the yearlong celebration of the centenary of the late National Artist for Literature Francisco Arcellana’s birth. It was attended by the influential author’s accomplished children, teachers and students from the high schools he and his late wife Emerenciana graduated from, CCP Vice President and Artistic Director Chris Millado, National Commission for Culture and the Arts Chairman Felipe P. de Leon Jr., University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman Board of Regents member Dr. Georgina Encanto, and friends and admirers of the man and his works.

Highlights of the event included Arcellana’s most famous poem, “Prayer”, set to stirring music by young composer Jose Antonio Buencamino (son of local theater titans Nonie Buencamino and Shamaine Centenera-Buencamino), and interpreted by pianist Paolo Panagsagan and baritone Jeconiah Retulla; his story “A Marriage was Made” elegantly rendered as a ballet by choreographer Al Bernard Garcia, composer Jairius Saldejano, cellist Joseph Emmanuel Hernandez, oboist Draizen Genesis Sanchez, and dancers Jose Gabriel Eugenio and Eloisa Jessa Tangalin; and the unveiling of the Arcellana birth centennial logo, designed by Ana Araneta.

What I like most about the ceremony is Millado’s announcement that there would be a Francisco Arcellana reader and activity book for high-school students, in which, if I remember correctly, works like “Voice of the Turtle” and the much-anthologized “The Mats” are reinterpreted in other art forms.

In my mind, it’s a fitting endeavor for a man who was as passionate about teaching as he was about creative writing. His legacy not only lives on in his descendants and the treasury of works he left behind, but also in the long line of literary luminaries—Alfred A. Yuson, Erwin Castillo, Marra PL. Lanot, Jose Y. Dalisay Jr., Charlson Ong, Susan S. Lara, Eric Gamalinda, and Danton Remoto, among others—who consider him as a mentor.

This Tuesday, another awarding ceremony will be held: the Philippines Graphic magazine’s 2016 Nick Joaquin Literary Awards at the Novotel Manila hotel in Cubao, Quezon City, named after Arcellana’s late contemporary and fellow National Artist. Unlike the Palanca Awards, the winners of this short-story contest were officially announced by the magazine’s literary editor and poet Alma Anonas-Carpio on Facebook a week prior.

Top fictionist Angelo “Sarge” R. Lacusta won first prize for “Coral Cove”, Kathleen “Kate” Aton Osias scored second prize for “Silang”, and Celestine Marie Gaspar Trinidad clinched third prize for “Giving Lives”. Earning honorable mentions are “The Sundays in Dapitan” by Timothy James Dimacali, “One Truck Driver’s Story” by Merlie Alunan, and “Tooth, Scale, and Claw” by Ethan Chua.

Lacuesta has another reason to be happy on awards night: his better half, 2016 Palanca first-prize winner for poetry in English Ana Maria “Mookie” Katigbak-Lacuesta, was named the Philippines Graphic’s poet of the year. What another incredible year for one of Philippine literature’s power couples.

To the Lacuestas, and to all the other winners and tireless organizers of the awards, my sincere and warm congratulations.

Also happening this week is an event that I’m sure many lovers of the published word wouldn’t dare miss: the 37th Manila International Book Fair (MIBF), which runs from Sept. 14 to 18. Among the launches to be held during the book fair are Bully versus Bully, the third installment in OMF Literature’s “Happy Home” series that’s written by prize-winning children’s book author Grace D. Chong; playwright Guelan Varela-Luarca’s Filipino translation of Czech author Karel Capek’s play R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots), which was staged by Tanghalang Ateneo last year; and Czech writer Martin Vopenka’s A Girl and a Soul: Fairytales from the Mountains.

To those intending to visit the MIBF, make sure you browse over the latest Filipino titles; some of these may be good, if not better, than foreign ones. While you’re at it, do check out books of plays, both old and new, which I regard as among the most underappreciated on bookshelves.

There are plenty of them at the fair, including Tatlong Dula (Three Plays) by Rody Vera and Psychedelia Apocalypsis at Iba Pang Dula (Psychedelia Apocalypsis and Other Plays) by Nicolas B. Pichay, both published by the UP Press; Time Waits and Other Plays by Debbie Ann L. Tan, published by Bookmark; Floy Quintos: Collected Plays Volumes 1 and 2 by Floy Quintos, published by the Ateneo de Manila University Press; and Stage Presence: The Philippine PEN Anthology of Drama, edited by Dr. Jose Victor Z. Torres and published by the University of Santo Tomas Publishing House.

See you all at the MIBF!