short essays written by filipino authors

Kathang Pinoy

Filipino in thoughts and words.

Famous Essays and Speeches by Filipinos

My Husband's Roommate
Where is the Patis?
I Am A Filipino
This I Believe
The Philippines A Century Hence by José Rizal (Translated by Charles E. Derbyshire) Part I
The Philippines A Century Hence by José Rizal (Translated by Charles E. Derbyshire) Part II
The Philippines A Century Hence by José Rizal (Translated by Charles E. Derbyshire) Part III
The Philippines A Century Hence by José Rizal (Translated by Charles E. Derbyshire) Part IV
The Indolence of the Filipinos by José Rizal (Translated by Charles E. Derbyshire)
The Filipino Is Worth Dying For
1983 Arrival Speech of Ninoy Aquino

16 Books By Filipina Authors You Should Read

Learn more about the philippines and filipino culture through the stories of 16 filipina authors..

For the majority of my life, books have provided an instant escape whenever I wanted to travel to faraway places. However, the lack of representation on library and bookstore shelves left me feeling disconnected to stories with predominantly white characters and Westernized lived experiences. With the recent onslaught of Asian American/Pacific Islander hate crimes in the USA and Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month on the horizon in May , I wanted to compile a reading list that not only highlights Asian literary excellence, but also amplifies the voices of primarily Filipina/x authors. The 16 books listed here are a return to roots, providing a sense of belonging to the marginalized and also help to decolonize the mind. All the Filipina authors featured reflect a variety of experiences: they are immigrants, migrant workers, first/second/third generation, biracial, (former) illegal aliens, albino, and LGBTQIA+ identifying, and many of these books are their literary debuts. A combination of personal narratives, educational text, and creative writing, these pieces touch upon themes of femininity, race, class, spirituality, privilege, beauty, and identity. Many of the suggested books have been written for a Filipino audience first and foremost, but also deepen understanding of Filipino culture and values among unfamiliar audiences. Special thanks to @pinaylit on Instagram for introducing me to many of these titles. From this large selection, you’ll find that not all immigrant stories are the same. Scroll through the whole list or click on the title of the book to jump to its synopsis:

Reading List

America Is Not The Heart – Elaine Castillo (Fiction, Contemporary)

In The Country – Mia Alvar (Fiction, Short Stories)

Arsenic And Adobo – Mia P. Manansala (Fiction, Cozy Mystery)

The Farm – Joanne Ramos (Science Fiction)

Once Upon A Sunset – Tif Marcelo (Fiction, Romance)

Something In Between – Melissa de la Cruz (Fiction, Young Adult)

When The Elephants Dance – Tess Uriza Hoelthe (Historical Fiction)

I Was Their American Dream – Malaka Gharib (Memoir, Graphic Novel)

Babaylan: Filipinos and The Call of the Indigenous – Leny Mendoza Strobel (Indigenous Studies)

Lola’s House: Filipino Women Living With War – M. Evelina Galang (History, Interviews)

The Body Papers – Grace Talusan (Memoir)

Malaya: Essays on Freedom – Cinelle Barnes (Memoir, Essays)

Fairest – Meredith Talusan (Memoir)

Somewhere In The Middle – Deborah Francisco Douglas (Memoir)

Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion – Jia Tolentino (Essays)

Letters To A Young Brown Girl – Barbara Jane Reyes (Poetry)

FICTION BY FILIPINA AUTHORS

America Is Not The Heart

By elaine castillo.

Author Elaine Castillo presents the paradox of The American Dream through the family of protagonist, Hero De Vera. As a new immigrant to the USA housed by her beloved uncle, Pol, his wife Paz, and her young cousin Roni, Hero must find a way to reconcile her painful past in order to move forward with her life in America. Woven into this delicately-crafted family saga are untranslated Tagalog, Pangasinan, and Ilocano words, displaying all the hidden histories living inside each newcomer to the USA. The title of this novel is a spin on one of the first Filipino-American classics, America Is In The Heart by Carlos Bulosan.

In The Country

By mia alvar.

In The Country is a stunning, lyrical work of fiction presented in the form of nine short stories. In 2016, Mia Alvar put contemporary Filipina authors on the map with her first published piece, giving voice to Filipino men and women in the diaspora. Her short stories about emigrants, wanderers, exiles, and expats across the globe expertly distinguishes the Philippine experience for each protagonist, while upholding the universal likeness of all Filipinos around the world and “in the country.” The tales of a migrant worker in Saudi Arabia, the sighting of a “ White Lady ,” and a New York pharmacist smuggling drugs to his sickly father in Manila will illicit nostalgia for many Filipinos looking for glimpses of home.

Arsenic and Adobo

By mia p. manansala.

Out this May and available for pre-order, Adobo and Arsenic, the first installment in Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries is layered with romance, comedy, murder, and all the servings of Filipino food you could want in one light, enjoyable read. This cozy mystery (ie. a mystery sub-genre involving an amateur female sleuth) will have your mouth watering as you try to solve this classic case of “whodunnnit” with heroine, Lila Macapagal, being framed for the murder of her ex-boyfriend, a food critic, all while trying to save her Tita Rosie’s restaurant from closure.

The Farm Joanne Ramos Filipina Authors The Next Somewhere

by Joanne Ramos

A dystopian novel about Golden Oaks, a luxury retreat nestled in New York’s posh Hudson Valley, with every amenity under the sun provided to its residents, including a large pay-off. For Jane, an immigrant from the Philippines, the trade-off of being a surrogate mother for nine months at Golden Oaks seems too good of an opportunity to pass up. However, life on “The Farm” as Jane soon finds out, is less idyllic than it seems. A thought-provoking exploration of economic disparity, motherhood, and ethics.

Tif Marcelo Filipina Authors on The Next Somewhere

Once Upon a Sunset

By tif marcelo.

A high-powered OB/GYN, Diana Gallagher-Cary, finds herself at a crossroads after a series of unfortunate events in her life. But when she uncovers a box of letters from her supposedly dead grandfather to her grandmother in their youth, she sojourns to the Philippines to reconnect with her long-lost family members. Along the way, she contends with her identity, her definition of family, while finding love in the unlikeliest of places.

Something in Between

By melissa de la cruz.

One of the USA’s most celebrated Filipina authors, Melissa de la Cruz is back with a young adult story about high schooler, Jasmine de los Santos. Jasmine has met every expectation laid out by her hardworking Filipino parents and with a full college scholarship within reach, everything is perfect. But in the shocking wake of her parents’ expired immigration status, life as Jasmine knows it comes to a startling halt. With the threat of deportation looming overhead, Jasmine rebels to make time for the things she never experienced as an adolescent fixated on the future.

When The Elephants Dance

By tess uriza holthe.

Set in World War II Philippines, the fictional Karangalan family hunker down in their cellar with neighbors, consoling each other with stories of their homeland as the war rages overhead. These stories of family and community blend folklore, history, and magic, alluding to the mystical and comforting quality of storytelling as a means of survival and a tool to inspire hope in a time of devastation and violence. Trigger warning: rape, wartime atrocities.

NONFICTION BY FILIPINA AUTHORS

I Was Their American Dream

By malaka gharib.

A heartwarming debut from NPR correspondent and cartoonist, Malaka Gharib, as she captures her complex upbringing as a Filipino-Egyptian growing up in the USA. This coming-of-age-story is an endearing entry among the collection of modern immigrant stories, exploring common motifs about identity, culture, and belonging, all through an illustrated, interactive storyline. I was especially fond of Malaka’s presentation on the code-switching skills individuals with straddled identities must master in order to accommodate their dueling realities.

short essays written by filipino authors

Babaylan: Filipinos and The Call of the Indigenous

Edited by leny mendoza strobel.

In pre-colonial Philippines, Babaylans communed with spirits of nature and the world beyond. These revered shamans were almost always women or feminized men, becoming a modern symbol for non-conforming gender. In this anthology, decolonizing scholars, artists, poets, cultural theorists, and anthropologists offer insights as to how to call back the healing spirit and wisdom of the Babayalan. The tome is rich in spiritual and cultural capital and provides a framework to tap into Kapwa psychology, the fundamental Filipino belief that all Filipinos share kinship as human beings.

Lola’s House: Filipino Women Living With War

By m. evelina galang.

A heartbreaking history lesson on the violence perpetuated by the Japanese in The Philippines during World War II. Galang recounts the sorrows of sixteen surviving Filipino “comfort women” who were among more than one thousand Filipinas kidnapped, tortured, and defiled by the Imperial Japanese Army during their Philippine occupation. Lola’s House illuminates with sensitivity, the legacy of wartime horror and the impossible courage it took to survive. Their testimonies are huwes de kutsilyo —justice by knife. By reading this book, you are a witness to both the trauma and resilience endured by the female body. Trigger warning: rape, wartime atrocities.

The Body Papers

By grace talusan.

Winner of The Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing, The Body Papers is a written and visual catalog of Grace Talusan’s life in suburban New England, with family photos, medical records, and government papers to supplement her recollections. As a young brown child in majority white school, Grace grappled with racism, as well as sexual abuse at the hands of her grandfather. In her teenage years, she learns of the turbulence of her family’ legal status in the USA. The trauma of her childhood and adolescence take root in her body in the form of cancer, forcing Grace to explore invasive surgeries as a preventative measure. Amid all the suffering, Grace finds a way to persevere and eventually finds love and catharsis in a return to the homeland. Trigger warning: childhood sexual abuse, animal cruelty, life-threatening illness.

Malaya: Essays on Freedom

By cinelle barnes.

A rich memoir declaring the triumphs of Cinelle Barnes who immigrated to New York illegally and the challenges she encountered along the way. From under-the-table jobs evading authorities, to finding love with a Southern white man; from motherhood without a support system, to the PTSD she faced from her compounded experiences, these essays are about self-preservation and the resolve to overcome adversity against all odds as a brown Filipino woman in a white American world.

Fairest Meredith Talusan Filipina Authors

by Meredith Talusan

Fairest stands apart from the other memoirs by Filipina authors on this reading list as it explores intersectionality and creates dialogue around colorism, privilege, gender, race, and sexuality. Meredith was born as an albino male in the Philippines, being treated like a spectacle most of her childhood, but was given the opportunity to immigrate to the USA as a teen. She immediately is perceived as “white” upon arrival and navigates new waters of acceptance among her American peers while battling with her shifting gender boundaries, transitioning from male to female in her college years. A formidable voice providing refreshing nuance to the immigrant narrative.

Somewhere in the Middle

By deborah francisco douglas.

Growing up biracially, Deborah Francisco Douglas wanted to know more about her Filipino heritage. So on the fateful day she was assigned to the Philippines as a Peace Corps Volunteer, she packed up her bags hurriedly to connect with her Filipino side. But what welcomes Douglas in the small mountain town of Baguio City is a humbling lesson on belonging, that community is not an automatic but something earned. A homecoming tale to a home never visited, but always residing within, Douglas reflects on the ordinary ways we arrive to inclusion and inspires those looking to volunteer abroad with her descriptive account on her time overseas.

Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion

By jia tolentino.

Hailed one of 2020’s Best Books of The Year by The New York Times Book Review, Jia Tolentino’s Trick Mirror is a provocative social commentary running adjacent to a psychiatric evaluation, as Jia explores her own psyche in relation to the climate of the times. Her cerebral prose on pop culture themes such the punitive nature of optimization, the glorification of scammers as an American ideal, and our (de)construction of self on the internet, requires critical analysis from readers without compromising the entertainment factor. Trigger warning: rape.

Letters To A Young Brown Girl

By barbara jane reyes.

A riveting collection of poems that speak to the anger and difficulty of being a young brown girl, directed towards non-BIPOCs who have contributed to the harmful degradation of brown peoples’ worth. Reyes is unshakeable, spilling verses that read like thoughts, capturing the oppression of brown girls with a graceful balance of ferocity and empathy. She is raw and unabashed as she unpacks all her indignation against “othering,” but simultaneously, gives necessary affirmations for brown beauty in her reproach of western beauty standards.

Join the Filipina Authors Book Club

If you’re looking to build community and are seeking accountability in your reading journey as a Filipino/a/x reader or ally, join the Filipina Authors Book Club on Facebook ! With over 600 members, monthly discussions, and engaging community threads, this is a safe space for those interested in learning about Filipino culture without a patriarchial POV.

DISCLAIMER: Please support local, independent book retailers at this time. We invite you to purchase your books from independent Filipino books retailer, Arkipelago Books , or Bookshop.org , the largest inventory of independent bookstores..

Millette Stambaugh

Filipina-American Millette Stambaugh is a thirty-something former expat who has traded her nomadic ways for Philadelphia living. Corporate worker by day, content creator by night, Millette specializes in visual storytelling and joyful journeys and wants to help others find their "next somewheres." Follow her escapades on Instagram, Youtube, and Tiktok @thenextsomewhere.

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Thank you SO much for posting this! I look forward to what we choose next within the Book Club, and am ecstatic that there are so many books to look forward to reading, even if they’re not chosen!

My absolute pleasure! Loved seeing the wealth of reads out there but thinking that there still could be more. I hope you get to read the books we don’t end up choosing regardless 🙂

Filipino short stories we read in high school that we want to see onscreen

The Supreme Court might disagree, but the Filipino subject is one of the last lungs of our national identity. What Tanggol Wika (Alyansa ng Mga Tagapagtanggol ng Wika Filipino) said last year was true—removing it from the college curriculum is like cultural genocide. As bad luck and poor decision-making would have it, the future generations got robbed of the chance. Now what?

Read more : 6 Filipino literature that deserve your undivided attention

This is not the end-all be-all, but let’s trace back to when studying Filipino was at its peak for most of us: high school. Aside from bouts of sabayang pagbigkas practice hours, heated Balagtasan contests and countless plays recreating iconic “Noli Me Tangere” and “El Filibusterismo” scenes, the subject propelled our appreciation for Philippine literature. This was through the award-winning Filipino short stories we were tasked to read—and most importantly—analyze. Admit it: You enjoyed it.

Now, with Bob Ong’s thriller novel “Ang Mga Kaibigan ni Mama Susan” and Ricky Lee’s short story “Servando Magdamag,” turning into films soon, we’re pumped now more than ever. What if we give the same opportunity to the stories that grew up with us? Here are award-winning stories written by Filipino authors that we want to see onscreen—whether as a show or a movie. It’s the spotlight Philippine literature deserves.

Read more: These award-winning books show why PH literature belongs in college curriculums

“Ang Kalupi” by Benjamin Pascual

For a story that occurs in just one afternoon, “Ang Kalupi” twists our heads in unapologetic 180-degree fashion. While buying a graduation gift for her favorite kid at the market, Aling Marta finds out that her wallet is missing. As she feels her pockets, a scene from minutes ago replays: A young boy—wearing grubby jeans and a torn shirt—bumped her on the way. Well, that’s what’s going on in her mind at least. But we could tell you it was purely an accident.

You could guess what happens next. Aling Marta storms off, confronts the kid and threatens the life out of him. It was probably the most stressful four (or five or six) hours of their lives. But the wildness of this story isn’t just rooted in its plot twists. It’s also in the hard truth it offers to the readers because, yeah, we’ve all judged each other a little too much. But “Ang Kalupi” tells us that empathy should win over. Society’s prejudice about the lower class is more horrifying than we think.

“Sandaang Damit” by Fanny Garcia

I don’t know about you, but the quaint title of this Palanca Award-winning piece conjures the visual of many, many colors. It’s a happy story for sure, right?

Don’t make assumptions yet until you meet this young girl. In her class, she’s often quiet and alone. Her classmates dread how she wears the same clothes and doesn’t bring food to school. The teases grow louder and louder. Eventually, she decides she’s not having it anymore. Then, surprise, she tells her classmates she has 100 clothes at home. They believe her. Vivid and powerful, this story tackles the helplessness of those who are discriminated against.

“Dead Stars” by Paz Marquez Benitez

Before all the hit Wattpad fics and digestible internet meet cutes, there was “Dead Stars.” An OG reading material in schools, this story gives a detailed depiction of how love, relationships and fidelity played out in early 20th century Philippines.

Descriptive and reasonably frustrating, this story shows us how people can grow bad when stuck in fantasies and illusions of love. Because of this selfishness, people can be trapped in timelines they shouldn’t stay in—and eventually ruin what they have in the present. This story written in 1925 ushered in an era of Philippine lit writing in English. Aside from that, this was also used as an early feminist material as it tried to defy the stereotype that men are more strong-willed and women are more emotional.

Read more: Remember when Wattpad made us all writers?

“Ang Pamana” by Lamberto Gabriel

What’s in a farmer’s life? “Ang Pamana” follows the story of farmers Mang Karyas and Aling Asyang and their son Kiyel. Its clever pacing makes way for vivid details, making us flies on the wall of the family’s tale of hardships in the fields. Like sticky notes posted all over the house, Mang Karyas and Aling Asyang repeatedly tell Kiyel not to be a farmer when he grows up.

Eventually, Kiyel gets the privilege of graduating with a college degree. When he’s set to come home to his hometown and meet his parents again, Mang Karyas is on the edge of his seat wanting to see how Kiyel finally made it in life. However, hell breaks loose when Kiyel reveals he took up agriculture. Painful and raw, this story highlights how farmers in the Philippines are unrecognized and deprived of a good life.

Read more: For your consideration: 5 TV shows based on Philippine mythology

Quite ironic how the backbone of our nation’s economy is experiencing the most difficult state. Quite horrifying how this story from decades ago still mirrors the present .

But even though the issues depicted in classic literature remain today, we shouldn’t forget that there can be a redeeming curve in the end. And we can’t wait to see that onscreen, too.

Art by Marx Reinhart Fidel

filipino literature
filipino short stories
film adaptations
philippine literature

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10 Contemporary Filipina Authors You Absolutely Should Be Reading

Women have been writing amazing books about Filipino life and culture for as long as we can remember, and it makes no sense that our attention is skewed so heavily in favor of the men’s.

For the sake of those who need a greater push into the spotlight, we are featuring 10 Filipino women writers whose works you definitely have to read.

Also Read: 9 Kickass Women in Philippine History You’ve Never Heard Of

1. Barbara Jane Reyes.

A poet with a BA from the University of California at Berkeley and an MFA from San Francisco State University, Reyes is the author of three poetry collections: Gravities of Center (2003), Diwata (2010), and Poeta en San Francisco (2005) which won the James Laughlin Award from the Academy of American Poets.

The Poetry Foundation says her work “explores a variety of cultural, historical, and geographical perspectives,” and that her winning collection Poeta “employs English, Spanish, and Tagalog to create a devastating portrait of her hometown.”

2. Catherine Ceniza Choy.

Born in 1969, Choy is a professor and chair of the Ethnic Studies Department at the University of California, Berkeley. She has written two books on Filipino diasporic history: Empire of Care: Nursing and Migration in Filipino American History (2003) and Global Families: A History of Asian International Adoption in America (2013). The latter looks at the complex politics and relationships that compel Americans to adopt Asian children from abroad.

She created a stir with her first book, Empire of Care , which won her the American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Award in 2003; an Honorable Mention from the American Studies Association Lora Romero First Book Publication Prize in 2004; and the History Book Award from the Association for Asian American Studies in 2005.

3. Conchitina Cruz.

Cruz received her MFA in Writing from the University of Pittsburgh and currently teaches creative writing and comparative literature at the University of the Philippines-Diliman.

She was the recipient of both the Fulbright and Rockefeller Foundation grants; Palanca Awards in 1996 and 2001; and a Philippine National Book Award in 2006.

She’s written four books so far, which include Dark Hours (UP Press, 2005), elsewhere held and lingered (High Chair, 2008), and (together with Adam David and Delilah Aguilar), A Catalogue of Clothes for Sale from the Closet of Christine Abella—perpetual student, ukay fan, and compulsive traveler (The Youth and Beauty Brigade, 2012).

4. Eileen R. Tabios.

Born in 1960, our third poet on the list is also a prolific editor, anthologist, critic, publisher, conceptual/visual artist and fiction writer. With up to 50 titles in her combined bibliography, she has won the PEN Open Book Award, the Potrero Nuevo Fund Prize, and the PEN Oakland-Josephine Miles National Literary Award, among others.

Tabios is a writer who’s not afraid of crossing genres, mixing fiction with non-fiction as well as various artistic practices. The Poetry Foundation further credits Tabios for having invented the hay(na)ku , a poetic form in which “the first line contains one word, the second line contains two words, and the third line contains three words, for a total of six words.”

5. Felisa Batacan.

Felisa Batacan, also known as F.H. Batacan overseas, is a Filipino journalist and crime fiction writer based in Singapore, whose first novel, Smaller and Smaller Cricles (2002), was considered to be the Philippines’ first crime novel.

Batacan’s novel was published to wide critical acclaim in 2002, even though it had already won the Carlos Palanca Grand Prize for the English Novel in 1999. It then went on to win the 2002 National Book Award and the 2003 Madrigal-Gonzalez Best First Book Award.

Ten years later, the book would be acquired by New York-based publisher Soho Press, and is due to arrive on bookstands this year.

6. Genevive L. Asenjo.

Known for her ability to write and translate between Filipino, Kinaray-a and Hiligaynon, Asenjo’s first novel, Lumbay ng Dila (2010), won the National Book Award in 2011.

In 2009, she spent half of the year in Seoul as an Overseas Writing Fellow, and in 2012, Asenjo attended the University of Iowa’s prestigious International Writing Program as an Honorary Writing Fellow. On top of being Associate Professor at De La Salle University-Manila, she is also the founder-director of Balay Sugidanun.

7. Jessica Zafra.

You probably have known her for her column, Twisted (1994-2004), which appeared in the newspaper Today (now the Manila Standard Today ) before it turned into a book series.

Jessica Zafra is known for her trademark wit and remarkable insight, which she displays in spades across her two collections of short stories, The Stories So Far and Manananggal Terrorizes Manila . She also runs the website, JessicaRulesTheUniverse.com, which you should totally check out.

8. Lakambini Sitoy.

Described as a “brilliant new talent” by the New York Review of Books, Lakambini Sitoy’s first novel, Sweet Haven , had been longlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize in 2008 and subsequently translated into French in 2011.

Sitoy also had two collections of short stories published: the first, Mens Rea and Other Stories (1999) received the National Book Award in 1999 while her second, Jungle Planet (2006), had been shortlisted. She’s also had the impressive feat of receiving prizes from the Palanca Awards as well as the Philippines Free Press Award.

9. Marjorie Evasco.

Born in 1953, Marjorie Evasco is a poet that prides herself as a true Bol-anon who keeps alive “the memory and spirit of the revolt led by Dagohoy,” committing “her vision through her poetry, believing that the worthy warrior and healer is adept at giving voice to the vision so that others may sing it, too.”

One of the earliest supporters of women’s rights and women writers in the Philippines, she has written a handful of collections and has received in turn a bucket load of awards, including the Palanca and National Book Awards. We recommend starting with Dreamweavers , a collection that details her sense of origin and deals with the intricacies of ancestral heritage.

10. Merlinda Bobis.

Merlinda Bobis was born in Legaspi City, Albay, and is currently based in Australia where she teaches at Wollongong University.

Bobis is a legend: she has published novels, short stories, dramas, and poems. Her plays have been produced and performed in more than ten countries around the globe. She went from winning the Most Underrated Book Award from the Small Press Network in Australia in 2013 to snagging the Juan C. Laya Philippine National Book Award for Best Novel in a Foreign Language in 2014.

Selected References

Cordite Poetry Review,. (2012). Three Poems by Conchitina Cruz . Retrieved 2 September 2015, from http://goo.gl/BR5NyG

Poetry Foundation,. Barbara Jane Reyes Biography . Retrieved 2 September 2015, from http://goo.gl/oZwh6O

The University of Iowa – International Writing Program,. Genevieve L. Asenjo . Retrieved 2 September 2015, from http://goo.gl/YRuVUy

University of California, Berkeley Department of Ethnic Studies,. Faculty Profile: Catherine Ceniza Choy, Professor and Department Chair . Retrieved 2 September 2015, from http://goo.gl/Vf2XtE

Written by FilipiKnow

in Facts & Figures

Last Updated January 21, 2022 01:30 PM

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4 Award-Winning Must-Read Filipino Authors and Poets

Whether you’re just starting to take interest in reading books or looking for ways to finally catch up on your to-read list, reading the works of these four Filipino authors might just be the push that you needed. As these authors immerses its readers to the Filipino experience, their books will definitely tug unseen emotions and thoughts. It’s no wonder that they have received received global recognition for their work.

Allan Popa at Saringsing Bikol Writers Workshop 2019 held in Catanduanes

Courtesy of Irvin Parco Sto. Tomas

If you’re into poetry, Allan Popa is one of the first names that come up if you’re asking any scholar in the Philippines. As of 2022, he has published more than ten collections of poetry including Morpo and Samsara , in which he received a National Book Award for Poetry in 2001 and 2002, respectively. Other national recognitions that Allan Popa has received are the Philippines Free Press Literary Award and the Manila Critics Circle National Book Award. Aside from national recognition, he has also earned an MFA degree in poetry at Washington University in Saint Louis. Not only that, but he also won the Norma Lowry Prize and the Academy of American Poets Graduate Prize during his stay in the university.

While the majority of his works are published in Tagalog, there are many translated editions and you can find many of them online.

“The poems...work like parables...(they) are mystical, mysterious, and mystifying, and so require to be read with deliberation and savored with fine discrimination,” says Bienvenido Lumbera, Editor of Sanghaya 2003: Philippine Arts and Culture Yearbook.

Lysley Tenorio

Courtesy of Jessica Christian via The Chronicle

Fiction writer, Lysley Tenorio has both published and received awards in the United States for writing stories about Filipinos and mostly, their experience in another country. His book titled Monstress (2012), which contains eight short stories, was named a book of the year by the San Francisco Chronicle. His recognitions in the field of literature includes receiving a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, a Whiting Award, a Stegner fellowship, the Edmund White Award, and the Rome Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Aside from having his stories appear in The Atlantic and Zoetrope: All-Story, and Ploughshares, The American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco and the Ma-Yi Theater in New York City has also adapted his stories for stage.

Lysley Tenorio’s most recent book is The Son of Good Fortune (2020) and is beautiful reflection of how vibrant and empathetic his characters are. Voted a Best Book by Amazon in July of 2020, The Son of Good Fortune is a novel about a mother, Maxima, and her son, Excel, who are undocumented Filipino immigrants living in California. Both of them do their best to assimilate. make money and not get caught by the INS. But what they do not know about each other is the ultimate challenge: Maxima seduces men on the internet, eventually cajoling them to wire her money, while Excel flees to a hippie commune with his girlfriend and begins to wonder if he could make it his home.

Conchitina Cruz

Courtesy of Conchitina Cruz

Another poet, Conchitina Cruz, also known as Chingbee Cruz, has written multiple poetry collections, and has published her works in both Philippine and American journals. Her collection of prose poetry, Dark Hours (2005) , where Chingbee Cruz navigates the city through the experiences of different characters, won the National Book Award in 2006. She also holds two Palanca Awards, an esteemed award giving body in the Philippines.

Although she is a Manila-based author, her audience expands in other corners of the world. She has earned her MFA degree at the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and her PhD in English from State University of New York (SUNY) Albany. Other works of Conchitina Cruz includes elsewhere held and lingered (2008) , There is no emergency (2015) , and book of essays The Filipino Author as a Producer (2017) and Partial Views: On the Essay as a Genre in Philippine Literary Production (2021). Aside from writing, she currently also co-runs a small press, the Youth & Beauty Brigade.

Cruz’s work is known to be very lyrical and memoir-based stream of consciousness. Her poems illicit deep experience and response from fans of her work.

Gina Apostol

Courtesy of Margarita Corporan via ginaapostol.com

A US-based author, Gina Apostol, without fail, have always gotten a recognition for her published works. If you’re into reading stories of fiction based on the history of the Philippines, you might want to pick up one of her books. Her debut novel, Bibliolepsy (1997) has won the Juan Laya Prize for the Novel Category (Philippine National Book Award). This also holds true for her work, The Revolution According to Raymundo Mata (2009) has also won the same award. She follows these two works with Gun Dealers’ Daughter (2010) in which it won the 2013 PEN/Open Book Award, an award given to authors of color that has published in the United States. Her latest book, Insurrecto (2018), has garnered multiple recognitions such as Publisher Weekly’s one of the Ten Best Books of 2018, Editor’s Choice of the NYT, and being shortlisted for the Dayton Prize. Gina Apostol has also recently won the 2022 Rome Prize in Literature for her next novel.

Written by Maria Manio

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Filipino Literary Gems: Celebrating the Best Works of Philippine Authors

Welcome to the world of Philippine literature, where stories are woven with passion and rich cultures. From heartwarming tales of love to gripping accounts of war, Philippine literature has something for everyone. The Philippines has produced some of the greatest authors in history, whose works have captured the hearts and imaginations of readers worldwide. Join us as we delve into the best authors and literatures that this country has to offer!

Best authors and literature in the Philippines

Philippine literary works are some of the richest in the world.

Philippine literature is a reflection of the country's diverse history and cultural heritage. From pre-colonial times to modern-day, Philippine literature has evolved through different periods, each one leaving its mark on the literary landscape. One of the most notable features of Philippine literature is its use of language. The Philippines boasts over 100 languages and dialects, each one adding depth and richness to the literary works produced in this country. Another hallmark of Philippine literature is its ability to weave together various influences into a cohesive narrative. Whether it be indigenous myths and legends or foreign influences brought by colonization, Philippine writers have used these elements to create unique and captivating stories that resonate with readers around the world. Moreover, Philippine literature reflects the lived experiences of Filipino people from all walks of life. It speaks not only to their joys but also their struggles, highlighting important social issues such as poverty, corruption, inequality, gender roles, among others. It's no wonder that many consider Philippine literature as some of the richest in the world – thanks to its diversity in language use; incorporation of various influences; and representation for both personal experience intertwined with social commentary.

The different genres of Philippine literature

Philippine literature is a diverse and rich collection of literary works that reflects the country's history, culture, and traditions. It encompasses various genres, from fiction to poetry, drama to essays. Each genre represents a different form of artistic expression that portrays the Filipino identity. One of the most popular genres in Philippine literature is the novel. Filipinos have produced notable novels such as Jose Rizal's "Noli Me Tangere" and F. Sionil Jose's "Rosales Saga." These novels tackle issues such as colonialism, social injustice, and political corruption. Another significant genre in Philippine literature is poetry. Some of the prominent poets include Jose Garcia Villa, Francisco Balagtas, and Nick Joaquin . Their works reflect themes ranging from love to patriotism. Drama is also an essential part of Philippine literature; it depicts social reality through theatrical performances with protagonists rooted in local customs and values. Theater groups like Tanghalang Pilipino produce original plays with thought-provoking themes. Lastly but not least important are essays which provide commentary on current events or contemporary society at large by celebrated writers like Carlos P Romulo whose “I Am A Filipino” essay draws attention to what being a Filipino means while offering insight into their unique cultural heritage In conclusion , these are just some examples among many others that showcase how diverse Philippines' literary scene can be when it comes to genres available for its readership consumption.

Some of the best authors in the Philippines

The Philippines boasts some of the most talented and renowned authors in the world. One such author is Jose Rizal, whose seminal work "Noli Me Tangere" sparked a revolution against Spanish colonial rule. His other works like "El Filibusterismo," "Mi Ultimo Adios" and various essays on nationalism serve as an inspiration to many Filipinos to this day. Another notable author is Nick Joaquin, who was awarded the title of National Artist for Literature in 1976. He authored several novels, plays, and short stories that capture Philippine history and culture through his vivid imaginations. F. Sionil Jose has also made significant contributions to Filipino literature with his five-novel series titled Rosales Saga which depicts life under Spanish colonization in Luzon. Moreover, Lualhati Bautista's novels such as Dekada '70 tackle issues related to martial law during Ferdinand Marcos' regime while Jessica Hagedorn's Dogeaters showcases Philippines' vibrant melting pot culture. These authors have not just entertained readers but have also contributed significantly by shedding light on social injustices prevalent at different points in time throughout Philippine history through their literary masterpieces

The different literatures of the Philippines

The Philippines is a country filled with diverse cultures and traditions, resulting in a rich variety of literature. From the ancient epics to contemporary works, Philippine literature has something for everyone. One of the most notable forms of Philippine literature is the epic poem. These long narrative poems tell stories about heroes and their adventures. The most famous example is the "Iliad" or "Odyssey" which was written by Homer. Another genre that Filipinos love are folktales or myths - these stories have been passed down from generation to generation, often teaching valuable lessons while entertaining listeners at the same time. They showcase Filipino beliefs and customs, as well as offer insight into how Filipinos view morality. On top of those mentioned above are song lyrics also called Kundiman which serve as musical compositions that express emotions such as love or patriotism. It became popular during Spanish colonization in 1896 until today it still represents many aspects of Filipino culture. Philippine literature doesn't only revolve around traditional storytelling but also includes modern literary works such as novels, short stories, poetry and essays that reflect present-day issues faced by Filipinos like poverty, social injustice and political turmoil. Philippine literature encompasses different genres both old ones rooted deeply into its tradition up to new emerging voices who seek to represent current situations through their writing skills. Its diversity reflects not just on its people's lives but also on their history and culture making it worth exploring for every reader out there seeking depth within each read material they encounter along their journey towards knowledge acquisition through reading.

Philippine literature is truly a treasure trove of diverse and captivating stories that showcase the unique culture and history of the country. From epic poems to contemporary novels, there is no shortage of amazing literary works that can capture anyone's imagination.

Moreover, the best authors in the Philippines are not only masters of their craft but also cultural icons who have made significant contributions to Filipino literature. Their literary works serve as a testament to their creativity, artistry, and passion for storytelling. Whether you're a fan of romance novels or prefer more thought-provoking pieces like political commentaries or historical accounts, there's something for everyone in Philippine literature. So if you're looking for some great books to read or want to explore different genres from around the world, then make sure to check out some of these amazing authors and their literary works!

Philippine Authors and Their Works – Some Legendary Authors In PH

Here are some of the most famous philippine authors and their works that left remarkable mark in the ph literature..

PHILIPPINE AUTHORS AND THEIR WORKS – These are the legendary Filipino authors and their remarkable contributions.

The Philippine literature has improved greatly over time. We have authors who write fully in Filipino, while others scribbled their thoughts and letters in English adapting the Western style and language. But what most definitely will be of significance is how these creations have shaped and enriched the literature of the country.

Meet some of the most legendary and iconic authors from the Philippines below and a few of their masterpieces:

She wrote the 1990 novel Dogeaters which won the American Book Award and was declared a finalist for the National Book Award. She also created the play Mango Tango which happened to be her first-ever play.
He is one of those writers who deeply tackled social justice and issues. He created Rosales Saga – a a five-volume work. He is one of the most widely read Filipino authors. In 1980, he won the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Literature.
He is a National Artist. He published a work at the age of 17 and his skill has made him won a scholarship from an essay contest where he topped. Among his most famous works is The Woman With Two Navels .
She wrote numerous books, short stories, and poems which told the lesser-known facts about the life of a Filipino. Fish-Hair Woman is one of her greatest stories that narrated the story of a woman who fell in love with an Australian soldier. Her works Rita’s Lullaby and White Turtle won the international Prix Italia Award and the Steele Rudd Award, respectively.
He is popularly called Butch Dalisay, his pen name. He lived and got imprisoned in the time of Martial law. his writings include Killing Time in a Warm Place (his first novel) and Soledad’s Sister (his second novel). In his career, he has won 16 Palanca awards.
He is a poet, author, and a teacher. His Eye of the Fish: A Personal Archipelago won the PEN Open Book Award and an Asian American Literary Award.
Our very own national hero is a prolific writer. He wrote Noli me Tangere and El Filibusterismo m, which, at current times, is deeply discussed in academic institutions. Mi Ultimo Adios is the last poem he wrote before his execution.
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Must-Read Books by Filipino and Filipino American Authors

From imaginative cozy mysteries to politically-motivated fiction to moving short stories to joyful romances, these books by filipino authors and authors of filipino descent span the vast experience of the people of the philippines. discover more books by asian american and native hawaiian/pacific islander authors and share these incredible narratives year-round using the hashtag #representasianstories..

Horse Barbie

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Chloe and the Kaishao Boys

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Blackmail and Bibingka

By mia p. manansala, paperback $17.00.

A Career in Books

By kate gavino, hardcover $20.00.

In the Country

By mia alvar, paperback $17.95.

Cinder & Glass

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Cook Real Hawai’i

By sheldon simeon and garrett snyder, hardcover $35.00.

Mythic World

By kerby rosanes, paperback $15.00.

Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not)

By jose rizal, paperback $19.00.

Patron Saints of Nothing

By randy ribay.

by Jessica Hagedorn

The Woman Who Had Two Navels and Tales of the Tropical Gothic

By nick joaquin.

I Was Their American Dream

By malaka gharib, paperback $16.99.

by Joanne Ramos

On Location

By sarah echavarre smith, paperback $18.00.

When the Elephants Dance

By tess uriza holthe, paperback $16.00.

The Holiday Switch

By tif marcelo, paperback $10.99.

Sophie Go’s Lonely Hearts Club

By roselle lim.

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The 7 Most Legendary Filipino Authors

A country shaped by centuries of colonization by violent wars, long-lasting political upheaval, and the idyllic beauty of its islands, the Philippines offers writers plenty of material to work with. In stories drawn from this complex heritage, Filipino authors stand out for their creative, compelling voices. Culture Trip rounds up seven of the best literary talents to come from the Philippines.

Jessica hagedorn.

Best known for her 1990 novel Dogeaters , Jessica Hagedorn was born and raised in the Philippines and relocated to San Francisco in her teens. Hagedorn’s ethnic heritage is a mix of Spanish, Filipino, French, Irish, and Chinese. Dogeaters , which won the American Book Award and was a finalist for the National Book Award, shines a light on the many layers of Filipino society, especially the American influence prevalent in the entertainment industry. Hagedorn is also a poet and playwright. Her first play, Mango Tango , was produced by Joseph Papp in 1978, the same year she moved to New York, where she currently lives with her daughters.

Sionil Jose

Nick Joaquin

Winning the National Artist award for Literature, Nick Joaquín is probably the most esteemed writer the Philippines has produced. Joaquin came from a well-educated family and was published at the early age of 17. After winning a scholarship in a nationwide essay contest, he left the Philippines to study in Hong Kong. On his return to Manila he worked for many years as a journalist, and his highly intellectual writing raised the standards of journalism in the country. Joaquin’s book, The Woman With Two Navels is essential reading in Philippine literature. However many of his short stories, such as “May Day Eve,” are extremely accessible and enjoyable for those new to the Philippines.

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Merlinda Bobis

Award-winning writer Merlinda Bobis started off as a painter, but grew into a writer as “painting with words was cheaper.” Bobis’ books, short stories, and poems tell of lesser-known aspects of Filipino life, often from a strong feminist stance. One of her most well-known novels, Fish-Hair Woman , describes a romance between a young village woman and an Australian soldier in the middle of a harrowing conflict that threatens the entire province. The Australian called it a “superb novel” that “maintains its tragic intensity throughout.” Bobis has also won the international Prix Italia award for her play Rita’s Lullaby and the Steele Rudd Award for her short story “White Turtle.”

Jose Dalisay Jr.

Jose Dalisay Jr. writes a popular online column where he’s more commonly known by his pen name, Butch Dalisay. Dalisay was imprisoned during Martial Law, and his experiences from this portion of Philippine history are brought to life in his first novel, Killing Time in a Warm Place . His second novel, Soledad’s Sister tackles the plight of overseas Filipino workers, and was shortlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize in 2007. Within the Philippines, Dalisay has won 16 Palanca Awards, the country’s highest prize for literature.

Luis Francia

Award-winning author Luis Francia has lived in New York for decades, but his experiences of growing up in the Philippines continue to shape the stories he tells the world. The poet, author, and teacher emigrated to the U.S. after finishing college, where he wrote and co-edited the Village Voice newspaper for more than 20 years. His memoir Eye of the Fish: A Personal Archipelago won a PEN Open Book Award and an Asian American Literary Award. Amitav Ghosh, author of The Glass Palace , described Francia’s memoir as “a hugely readable travelogue and an indispensable guide to a fascinating and richly varied archipelago.”

The Philippines’ national hero was also a prolific writer, poet, and essayist. Jose Rizal’s two novels, Noli me Tangere and El Filibusterismo were social commentaries that sharply revealed the injustices of Spanish colonization while praising the Filipino in his most natural state. The novels, which are surprisingly wry and romantic, crystallized the growing anti-Spanish sentiment and were banned within the Philippines. The execution of Jose Rizal at 35 years old set off the Philippine Revolution and paved the way for the country’s independence. Even without these dramatic events, Rizal’s books and his final poem, “Mi Ultimo Adios,” stand on their own literary merit, and have influenced scores of Filipino writers since.

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Creative Nonfiction

Check out the creative nonfiction and essays from 21st-century Filipino authors published in Katitikan: Literary Journal of the Philippine South .

Post author By Gershom Mabaquiao
Post date October 10, 2023
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Recently, I discovered a poem entitled “Aswang” by Barbara Jane Reyes. Readings of the poem relate it to the subversive nature of powerful women. But the moment I chanced upon it, it reminded me of what I first learned about aswangs in my Philippine History class years ago, especially in the lines which read: “I am the bad daughter, the freedom fighter, the shaper of death masks.”

Reyes’ aswang never stayed the same way. She became “the snake, the crone,” or “the grunting black pig” or “your inverted mirror.” She shifted not to what the other person would deem desirable, but in the very creatures which would frighten them.

By the end of the poem, she dared the reader to “burn me with your seed and salt / Upend me, bend my body, cleave me beyond function. Blame me.” It was a powerful statement. Prodding the accuser to do the very thing they do best– inflict violence against those who challenge what they view as attractive, as normal, and as good.

My Other Name

Post author By Gilford Doquila
Post date June 22, 2021
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I was five when I learned I had another name, besides what my parents gave me. The name was first born out of my younger sister’s anger who never understood my difference—which for her and other kids were unusual and difficult to comprehend. For them, the world operated in black and white. Dolls are for girls; cars and toy guns are for boys. I wouldn’t blame them, we were taught to see the world in such banality and convenience.

But growing up was tough if you happen to be in the gray area.

As I ran my soft little hands and patted it against the black silky hair of my sister’s limited edition Barbie doll—donned in gold Filipiñana , beaded in intricate red gumamela patterns, and crowned with pearls towering on her head like those queens in Sagala , I was caught in a trance, mesmerized in an unknown cadence of beauty that I can’t help but adore. I continued patting her, held her brown legs, making sure not to spoil the crisp sparkling saya shaping her hourglass figure. I lifted her slim brown arms, waving them like queens do. She was beaming with her white teeth framed in her cherry red lips. I giggled in adoration until I heard my sister’s voice.

Maupay (At Mga Katagang Waray na Di Ko Malilimutan)

Post author By Raya Martinez
No Comments on Maupay (At Mga Katagang Waray na Di Ko Malilimutan)
Maupay nga aga (kulop o gab-i) – magandang umaga, hapon o gabi.

Magiliw ang wastong kataga.

Madalas tayong magpalitan ng mga “maupay” – sa umaga o gabi – depende sa iyong kagustuhang sumagot. “Maupay man,” ang tugon sa kumustahan. Mabuti naman.

Madalas kong tingnan ang cellphone ko. Palagian kong ina-unlock, sakaling may nakaligtaan akong text mo. Kung babatiin mo rin ba ako ng maupay na kung isulat mo ay “maupai”. Kung sasagutin mo ako ng okey na kung isulat mo ay “uki po.” Madalas din akong nagpapanggap na may itatanong o hihinging pabor – paki-salin mo naman ito sa Waray; may maitutulong ba ako sa inaayos niyong papel? Sasamahan ko ba si Alice bukas sa miting niyo? Mga palusot para lang mapahaba ang usapan natin sa text.

Choosing to Stay Home

Post author By Astrid Ilano
Post date February 25, 2020
1 Comment on Choosing to Stay Home

?Diri lang ta,? Nanay Salbing says, as she leads us through the maze that is Barangay Pasil.

An hour ago, I was sitting in a cubicle in our office on the sixth floor of a building inside IT Park. The office only seems to have two colors: blue and white. In the office, there are cubicles as far as the eye can see. And once you sit down on your designated spot, the only sight you are permitted is your computer unit, which you would be staring at for the rest of the day. If you stayed glued to your work, other people aren?t visible unless you look over the spines on top or to the side, which requires movement. Everything inside there is identical and easy to commit to memory.

Every step in Pasil is dynamic.

Tags Creative Nonfiction in English , Philippine Literature in English , Philippine Literature in Mindanao

Baybayin All Over Her Face

Post author By Kevin Amante
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Her eyes spill out unspoken stories?in the form of wrinkles that etch deeper and longer with the passage of time. From the corners of her eyes, they branch out like patterns on the wings of a butterfly?crawling all over her face, etching curves on her cheeks or fashioning waves on her forehead.

These scratches of age may reveal themselves as random graffiti for marking territories, as if declaring, The fine lines around my eyes are the marks of generations I witnessed coming and going. The folds below my mouth are the stories I wish to tell but can only whisper.

I witnessed these lines curve and swirl and dance with the rhythm of time, until they turned themselves into beautiful baybayin : the hushed characters of our history, striving for survival, like every one of her silent stories.

Tags Creative Nonfiction in English , Philippine Literature in English

18 Best Filipino Authors on Your Must-Read List

Are you looking for a new book to read? Check out these 18 best Filipino authors that you will absolutely love.

Many people living in the Philippines have had intense struggles through poverty, crime, and cultural challenges. Those who are skilled writers take those challenges and transform them into great works of literature. If you want to get a feel for the human struggle that the people of the Philippines experiencing, reading one of these Filipino authors could give you that insight.

Throughout the works created by famous authors from the Philippines, you will find something to fit almost any taste. From historic to modern, here are the Filipino authors you need to read.

1. Carlos Bulosan

2. jessica hagedorn, 3. jose rizal, 4. randy ribay, 5. barbara jane reyes, 6. elaine castillo, 7. f. sionil jose, 8. gina apostol, 9. joanne ramos, 10. malaka gharib, 11. melissa de la cruz, 12. mia alvar, 13. nick joaquin, 14. marcelo hilario del pilar y gatmaitan, 15. meredith talusan, 16. lysley tenorio, 17. mia hopkins, 18. tess uriza holthe.

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Best Filipino Authors Ranked

Born in the Philippines in a small farming village called Mangusmana, Carlos Bulosan came from a family who struggled to make ends meet. Determined to help his family and improve his education, Bulosan emigrated to the United States at the age of 17. He started working low-paying jobs while facing racism and illness until he finally learned how to write and put a voice to the struggles of the Filipino people in the United States.

His best-known work is a semi-autobiographical book called America Is in the Heart. He also wrote The Freedom from Want. Bulosan was both a novelist and a poet, and he died in Washington in 1956. If you enjoyed our round-up of the best Filipino authors, we have many more articles on the best authors from around the globe. You might want to check out our list of the best Korean authors . Or use the search bar at the top right of the page to search for authors in a country or region you are interested in.

America Is in the Heart: A Personal History (Classics of Asian American Literature)

Carlos Bulosan (Author)
English (Publication Language)
327 Pages - 04/01/2014 (Publication Date) - University of Washington Press (Publisher)

Born in 1949 in Manila, Jessica Hagedorn is a modern playwright, poet and writer. She came to the United States in 1963 to get her education at the American Conservatory Theater training program. She lives in New York City and has won an American Book Award and the Lucille Lotel Foundation fellowship.

Hagedorn has many famous works to her name, but Mango Tango, her first play, is one of her most famous. She also wrote Burning Heart: A Portrait of the Philippines and the fiction novel Dream Jungle.

Jose Rizal came from a wealthy Filipino family He was well-educated and spent much of his time as a young adult traveling Europe to discuss politics. He also studied medicine at the University of Heidelberg and pushed for Filipino reforms under the Spanish authorities. His execution at the age of 36 put a fast end to his writing career.

Rizal wrote a number of poems as a teenager. He also wrote an Operetta called On the Banks of the Pasig. His first novel, Noli Me Tangere, offended the religious leaders of his area and caused him to be deemed a troublemaker. This likely led to his later arrest for political and religious problems.

Randy Ribay is a Filipino author who writes middle-grade and young-adult fiction. Though he was born in the Philippines, he was raised in the United States and majored in English literature at the University of Colorado with a graduate degree from Harvard. In addition to writing, he teaches English in San Francisco.

Ribay’s first works were poetry, but his book Patron Saints of Nothing is an award-winning work of adult fiction. He also wrote An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes and After the Shot Drops. You might also be interested in our round-up of the best Indian authors of all time.

Poet and author Barbara Jane Reyes was born in Manila and moved to the United States as a child. She studied literature and writing in California before launching her award-winning career. She now serves as an adjunct professor at the University of San Francisco.

Reyes’s published works include full-length poetry collections and chapbooks. Gravities of Center, Easter Sunday and Poeta en San Francisco all won awards, including the James Laughlin Award of the Academy of American Poets. Letters to a Young Brown Girl is another popular collection.

Elaine Castillo is an American writer who is of Filipino descent. She studied at the University of California Berkeley and the University of London. She is passionate about equality for the people of the Philippines, and that comes out in her work.

In 2018 Castillo published her first novel America is Not the Heart. Though this is the only publication she has so far, many reviewers consider her an up-and-coming name in literature. NPR named it one of the best books of the year.

Francisco Sionil Jose was a Filipino writer who is one of the most widely read in the English language. He writes about the social struggles of his culture, and his books and short stories have a huge following. He was born in Pangasinan and attended the University of Santo Tomas before starting his journalism and writing career.

Jose has many novels in his name, including The Pretenders and The Rosales Saga. He also wrote Dusk: A Novel. He won the National Artist of the Philippines award for his literary works. He died at the age of 97 in 2022.

Gina Apostol is a modern Filipino author who was born in Manila and attended Devine World College and the University of the Philippines before coming to the United States to earn her master’s degree at Johns Hopkins University.

Apostol’s first book, Bibliolepsy, recently received republication. She also wrote The Revolution According to Raymundo Mata and Gun Dealers’ Daughter. She has non-fiction works about Filipino American History and short stories to her name as well.

Born in the Philippines, Joanne Ramos moved to Wisconsin when she was just six years old. She attended Princeton University, where she received a bachelor’s degree. She worked in investment banking and private investing before becoming a staff writer for The Economist.

In 2019 Ramos published The Farm, her first novel. It tells the tale of a facility named Golden Oaks, where women serve as surrogate mothers for wealthy clients, and the main character is Filipino, shedding some light on the plight of poor Filipino women and where current cultural ideals could lead them.

Malaka Gharib works for NPR as the digital strategist and deputy editor for their global health and development team. She started this position in 2015, and before that worked with the Malala Fund, which raises money for educational charities.

Gharib is the author of the graphic novel I Was Their American Dream: A Graphic Memoir. It talks about what she faced growing up as a Filipino Egyptian American and introduces young readers to the culture of the Philippines. She also wrote How to Raise a Human and #15Girls, both of which won Gracie Awards.

Melissa de la Cruz grew up in Manila and made the move to San Francisco as a teenager. She majored in art history at Columbia University. She lives in West Hollywood, where she continues to write novels and middle-grade fiction.

Many of de la Cruz’s works are quite famous, including several New York Times bestsellers. She published The Isle of the Lost, a prequel to the 2015 Disney movie Descendants, which spent weeks on the bestseller list. She is also famous for her Blue Bloods series, which has three million copies in print, and she has over 50 books to her name.

Mia Alvar was born in the Philippines and raised in the United States and Bahrain. She attended Harvard College and Columbia University and currently resides in California.

Alvar won the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction for her short story collection In the Country. She serves as the writer in residence at the Corporation of Yaddo. Sech also earned the Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers award for her work.

Best known for his short stories and novels, Nick Joaquin often wrote under the pen name Quijano de Mania. He was born in 1917 and fought in the Philippine Revolution. After winning a nationwide essay competition, he started contributing poems and stories to magazines and newspapers. He was named the National Artist in 1957.

Joaquin has several novels to his name, including The Woman Who Had Two Navels and A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino. He focused on trying to explain and showcase Filipino culture and its history.

Marcelo Hilario del Pilar y Gatmaitan was often called Plaridel, his pen name. He was born in 1850 and lived in many parts of the Philippines before moving to Barcelona, Spain. Well-educated as a young man, especially in the arts, he became a well-known Filipino writer as an adult. He also attended law school and wrote on legal topics quite often.

Del Pilar was a prolific writer who published many works during his lifetime. The Greatness of God and The Triumph of the Enemies of Progress in the Philippines were some of them.

Meredith Talusan is a Filipino-American author who moved to the United States at the age of 15. He has many excellent essays, stories, and books to her name. She attended Cornell University, where she received an MFA degree, and she worked as a journalist for many well-known publications. In addition to writing, Talusan trained as a dancer.

Talusan has hit the New York Times Bestsellers list with Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture. She earned the Marsha P. Johnson Fellowship and the Poynter Fellowship at Yale. Many of her books talk about the LGTBQ+ community, and Fairest is her most recent publication.

Lysley Tenorio is a Filipino writer who wrote The Son of Good Fortune and Monstress. His work won many awards, including a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, an Edmund White Award, and the Rome Prize. Many of his works have become plays.

Tenorio focuses much of his writing on short stories . He was born in the Philippines and moved to San Francisco to pursue his passion for the arts. He works as an associate professor at Saint Mary’s College of California.

Mia Hopkin s is a Filipino-American writer known for her romance novels. She lives in Los Angeles and continues to publish new novels today. She likes to use working-class heroes in her works.

Mia Hopkins’ novels are full of steamy stories. Trashed is one of her most recent, and it is written from the point of view of the anti-hero of her previous novels. Her books have been featured in Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, and The Washington Post. Several of her works are part of a larger series, which gives the reader the chance to get to know her characters.

Tess Uriza Holthe is a Filipino-American writer who was raised in San Francisco. She attended Golden Gate University and works as an accountant in addition to her work as a writer.

Of her books, When the Elephants Dance is her most famous, hitting several national bestseller lists. She wrote the book during her breaks at work, and she drew information from her own father’s experience in the Philippines to inspire the story. She also wrote The Five-Forty-Five to Cannes. If you enjoyed this guide on the top Filipino authors, you might be interested in our round-up of the best Ukrainian authors .

Nicole Harms has been writing professionally since 2006. She specializes in education content and real estate writing but enjoys a wide gamut of topics. Her goal is to connect with the reader in an engaging, but informative way. Her work has been featured on USA Today, and she ghostwrites for many high-profile companies. As a former teacher, she is passionate about both research and grammar, giving her clients the quality they demand in today's online marketing world.

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13 Books by Filipino Authors You Should Be Reading

Today, it’s our pleasure to welcome author Tif Marcelo to Get Lit to recommend a few of her favorite books by Filipino authors! Her new novel Once Upon a Sunset , out now, is a delightful story of a woman who uses a sabbatical from her successful medical career to visit the Philippines to reconnect with her long-lost family, a trip that could just change her life forever. Thanks for joining us, Tif!

As a Filipino-American who, from a young age, found solace and a second home in our public library, I yearned to see representation of Filipino diaspora on the shelves. Now, as an author myself, I especially seek out other Filipino writers to read and share with others. Here are thirteen books from Filipino authors right off my bookshelf to grace your TBRs. They give a taste of the talent among Filipino authors, and some of our rich culture. Your heart is sure to expand as you read them, and you may possibly find your next favorite author among them.

This post was originally published on GetLiterary.com.

A diverse romance, the second in the Eastside Brewery series, is told from anti-hero Eddie Rosas’s point of view. Eddie is trying to reclaim his life and find his father after being released from prison. Although he attempts to live under the radar, he’s pulled to the surface by the independent chef Carmen Centeno, as well as his old crew, who mean to bring him back to the fray. An emotional read with ample sexy times, this book asks the evergreen question: Can people change?

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By Tif Marcelo | March 9, 2020

The first in the Carpe Diem Chronicles, this fun multicultural romance takes place in Boracay, Philippines, where Krista Lopez’s very last expectation on her week-long vacation is to fall for her American boss, who’s staying at the same resort. A light, enjoyable read, and the happily ever after is sweet and satisfying.

A debut, this enemies-to-lovers romance brings together Emmie, a headstrong heroine, and an equally formidable coworker, Tate, to work together for a charity construction project. With a sizzling and well-written first kiss, this romance is sure to keep you reading until the last page.

In this debut novel steeped in family drama and magic, Natalie Tan, a chef, returns home to San Francisco after her mother’s death, only to find that she’s inherited her grandmother’s restaurant. There, she’s challenged to cook three recipes to help her neighbors and the restaurant and, in doing so, finds her own healing.

A romantic novella about chance meetings and starting over, this book explores the giddiness of new love and the bittersweet reality of facing the unknown. As a #romanceclass book, it’s set in the Philippines with Filipino characters, bringing the authenticity of modern love and life in this island country to the reader.

The author of the unputdownable Creep series gives us a new dark thriller about pharmaceutical executive Georgina “Geo” Shaw, recently released from prison for her role in the murder of her best friend when they were in high school. With alternating timelines and points of view with investigator and childhood friend Kaiser Brody, Jar of Hearts weaves a chilling tale of secrets, seduction, and fear.

In this richly developed dystopian novel, Jane, a Filipino immigrant, leaves her baby daughter to become a Host at Golden Oaks, a spa-like environment where surrogates are housed. It’s also a place where surrogates are not allowed to leave, and in which their daily lives are controlled. Touching on topics such as social class, motherhood, and money, this superb novel is an excellent choice for your next book club selection.

8 Best Book Club Books I’ve Read So Far This Year

By Hannah Schaffer | October 1, 2019

I could not put down this book of short stories. Representing the range of Filipino diaspora across countries, with stories both poignant and sometimes heartbreaking, In the Country speaks to the memories and customs familiar to Filipinos, written in exceptionally honest prose.

Set in World War II in the Philippines, this book captivated me with its blend of magic, the tragedy of war, and the strength of community. While the fight for possession of Manila during the Japanese occupation occurs above ground, the Karangalan family and their neighbors hunker down in a cellar for safety, telling each other tales that enable them to survive, tales that could teach all of us much about the power of hope.

Now I’m switching gears to a few of my favorite children’s books—which by no means should keep adults from reading! Ambitious Lou Bulosan-Nelson intends to build a home for her extended family, and along the way she discovers the meaning of home. We could all learn a lot from Lou’s tenacity in this middle-grade book, which should be read by all ages.

Brave Nora embarks on a journey to find her missing mother in a shantytown in Manila’s North Cemetery. With beautiful prose, Everlasting Nora will sweep you away with the precious joys in its characters’ lives. This middle-grade book will speak to children and adults alike for its messages of hope and community.

The 2018 Newbery-winning middle-grade book, Hello, Universe explores the unlikely friendship of four very different children. When one falls into trouble, the other three embark on an epic adventure to help, and along the way learn more about themselves and others. This book encourages empathy and cooperation—and we can never have enough of that!

In Something in Between , Jasmine de los Santos, on the cusp of adulthood, finds out that her family is undocumented and now has to decide how to face this new reality. This young adult book is only one of the many written by powerhouse bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz, but this one is special (in my opinion) because it speaks to the straddled identity of many Filipinos.

Want to learn more about Tif Marcelo’s new novel Once Upon a Sunset ? See why Get Lit's Nicole choose it as one of her Most Anticipated Releases for March:

I always eagerly anticipate books featuring POC leads, and that is one of several reasons I’m excited for Tif Marcelo’s Once Upon a Sunset . It’s the story of a D.C. physician named Diana who, through a series of unexpected and unfortunate life circumstances, finds herself with lots of free time. Rather than wallow, Diana attempts to restore some order to her life and, in the process, she and her mother, Margo, discover old letters that lead them to uncover a family secret and surviving relatives in the Philippines. Diana decides to take the trip to the other side of the world, and learns more there about herself, her family, and life in ways that she could never have expected. Tif Marcelo is known for writing about complex family dynamics, and I’m eager to see how that plays out here, especially with the added layer of Filipino culture woven in.

The author of The Key to Happily Ever After— “a true gem filled with heart, laughs, and a cast of delightful characters” (Nina Bocci, USA TODAY bestselling author)—returns with a heartwarming and charming novel about a woman who travels to the Philippines to reconnect with her long-lost family…and manages to find herself along the way.

Diana Gallagher-Cary is at a tipping point. As a Washington, DC, OB/GYN at a prestigious hospital, she uses her career to distract herself from her grief over her granny’s death and her breakup from her long-term boyfriend after her free-spirited mother moves in with her. But when she makes a medical decision that disparages the hospital, she is forced to go on a short sabbatical.

Never one to wallow, Diana decides to use the break to put order in her life, when her mother, Margo, stumbles upon a box of letters from her grandfather, Antonio Cruz, to her grandmother from the 1940s. The two women always believed that Antonio died in World War II, but the letters reveal otherwise. When they learn that he lived through the war, and that they have surviving relatives in the Philippines, Diana becomes determined to connect with the family that she never knew existed, though Margo refuses to face her history. But Diana pushes on, and heads on a once-in-a-lifetime trip that challenges her identity, family history, and her idea of romantic love that could change her life forever.

Infused with Tif Marcelo’s signature “sexy, adorable, and heartfelt” (Kate Meader, USA TODAY bestselling author) voice, Once Upon a Sunset is a moving and lyrical celebration of love, family, and second chances.

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Culture doesn't fit in a box. Neither do we.

Mga Kuwentong Perlas: The Women of Modern Filipino Short Stories

My appreciation for the short story form didn’t develop until I was in university. As a staunch fan of the novel as a literary format, the focus placed on short stories in my creative writing program might have driven me off were it not for the astonishing pieces that I found and that were shared with me, by professors and friends alike. As part of Short Story Month here at Women on Comics, I’d love to share some of those stories, and the nuances of Filipino literature in general.

The stories I chose share some similarities: they’re written by young Filipino women, and they’re all written in English. Two of them are built around Filipino mythology, one is a deft character study that reflects the influence of wealth and privilege, and the fourth is an ingenious magical realism piece. All of them are brilliant, formative influences.

Santos de Sampaguitas – Alyssa Wong

“ Manananggal ,” come the whispers in the small town, and for a child who grew up being told that vampires were only a myth, the stories of mga aswang at manananggal have the taste of make-believe too, the kind that you think can be dissipated by a nightlight. In “Santos de Sampaguitas,” you learn that even daylight can’t keep them away.

Alyssa Wong draws readers in from the first paragraph, as a “dead god” pays a midnight visit to Maria Reyes. She informs the god, “you have the wrong Reyes sister,” her tone matter-of-fact, but when he insists that she is his next heir after her mother, she argues back. The news that her mother is dead is the only thing that stops Maria’s diatribe. It adds to the stress Maria is already feeling, with her sister’s impending shotgun wedding to the son of the family they both serve as housemaids. The wedding pulls every hand on deck, including Maria, who is entrusted with the family’s arrhae , or heirloom coins, to be dipped in gold. This task lights the two seemingly unrelated plot threads into a single flame.

I read “Sampaguitas” quite recently, and immediately went back to reread it. Wong’s use of Tagalog words not only made me smile from the familiarity, but they also strengthened the world she was describing. Careful Filipino readers will recognize the clues that Wong scatters throughout the story, bits of the myths that our families have shared with us, and understand Maria’s reluctance to take what the “dead god” offers her. Readers new to Filipino mythology will certainly be unsettled enough to keep reading, and they are rewarded by an ending that is at once satisfying and agonizing.

Yaya – Marguerite Alcazaren de Leon

The face of Yaya was so yellow like the Goldenrod in my Crayola box and my Crayola box has 120 colors and my ex-best friend Alyanna is so inggit because she has 64 only. The lips of Yaya were Red-Violet, the cheeks of Yaya were Magenta and the eyelids of Yaya were Turquoise Blue.

Growing up with a yaya, or nanny, is more common for Filipino kids than you might think. For many, yaya is the face they see first in the morning, the voice they hear as they fall asleep. But yaya has a life of her own, more often than not coming second to the life of the family she assists.

The young protagonist of Marguerite Alcazaren de Leon’s piece is precocious as one might expect, confidently relaying her Yaya’s dreams and thoughts and proclivities. Yaya is beautiful, described in the colours of a Crayola box, with dabs of Chin Chun Su perfume. Yaya teaches her about good (“Yaya said that mercy is for people that are kawawa [pitiful]”) and bad (“Yaya said the yaya of Alyanna is a bruha [witch]”). Yaya is at the mercy of her small employer’s stubbornness and childish vindictiveness.

de Leon’s ability to draw those afternoons with Yaya is the story’s foundation, grounding the rest of the piece. The protagonist’s voice is quick and light, unable to see nuance or the consequences of her words and actions. She sees the world around her in shades of crayons, defining each of them herself. Even as the story takes a sharp turn into telenovela-worthy drama, it is the protagonist who tells us what she thinks, why she believes the things she does, even as she inadvertently digs a figurative grave. It isn’t about whether or not Yaya is good. It’s about whether Yaya is who she believes Yaya to be, and what that would mean for a woman defined by her role in this child’s life.

Eggshells – Isabel Yap

The best stories trick you into thinking they’re less than what they are. A story about a baker can only have so many permutations, you see. It’s about love? Well, that’s easy, a clean path from start to finish. Until it’s not.

Our baker, Simon, is a popular man–his bakeshop entices the town women inside, and as they swoon and sigh over him, he chooses one and begins to bake. He shares the secrets of his talent with her, gives her the key to helping or ruining him. She chooses to help, but the nature of the task might ask more of her than she might normally want to give.

Isabel Yap doesn’t give a nudge and wink to her readers in “Eggshells.” She lays out Simon’s work without padding it with too much detail, and the result is an exquisite, frightening piece that calls for multiple reads. It bears witness to the strength of infatuation as a driving force for decisions, and the very human desire to survive. It also has some of the most meticulously constructed and beautiful sentences I’ve read in fiction.

Seek Ye Whore – Yvette Tan

You don’t forget a story like “Seek Ye Whore.” It’s the kind of story that nudges its way in past your skepticism, past your assumptions, and smiles as you reel from the horrifying consequences.

Before he knew it, Foster was clicking on the “Marry Me” button under her picture and inputting his credit card number into the processing form. She didn’t come cheap, but overall, he spent less than what he expected, especially on her travel expenses.

Yvette Tan eases readers in with a familiar male protagonist, Foster. He’s ordinary, single, and not particularly memorable. When his co-worker Donovan marries a mail-order bride from the island of Siquijor in the Philippines, Foster considers trying a wife out for himself. Tan plays up the dark humour of Foster choosing a woman from the same website, weighing the pros and cons of Vilma (“first in her high school English class”) and Gloria (“who ‘loved to laundry’”), before settling on the “sweet, innocent” Luli. His successful order for Luli is confirmed with a shipping estimation of “three to six weeks,” and when she arrives—well, that’s when Foster’s marriage takes a startling turn into the macabre.

“Seek Ye Whore” was one of the short stories assigned to my senior year thesis workshop for reading homework, and I still remember the shocked murmurs mixed with nervous laughter when we met up the following week to discuss it. There is a simplicity to it that never falters, even as Tan drives Foster into horror after horror. It is a pointed story that frankly addresses imperial colonialism and the fetishization of Filipino women, only made easier by the internet. It is also downright terrifying. Tan never offers an explanation for those moments, though Filipino readers familiar with the legends of Siquijor may have their suspicions. Whether suspicion is enough for Foster to look past his wife’s rather strange disposition, however–well, wouldn’t that be a spoiler?

One thought on “ Mga Kuwentong Perlas: The Women of Modern Filipino Short Stories ”

That “Seek Ye Whore” story was horrifying. And yet oddly satisfying to see the exploiters get their comeuppance!

2019 Was the Year of the Pinay Writer

Theresa Celebran Jones

Theresa Celebran Jones was born and raised in New England and has moved across the country four times. She is a technical writer and an MFA dropout but, like, definitely still an actual writer. She lives with her partner, her two human children, and her two canine children in San Diego. Contact here at [email protected] or find her on Instagram at @mandirigmajones.

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In 2019, I challenged myself to always have a book written by a Filipino writer in rotation. I like to juggle multiple books at a time to manage my short attention span, so I didn’t only read Filipino writers, but thanks to this challenge, I read more than I ever had before.

Growing up in New England, the scope of my understanding of the Filipino American experience was very limited (to basically myself and my family). I didn’t know the names of any Filipino authors until I got to college, and even then, there was exactly one class on Filipino American history available for me to take. And while I got to read great books by Carlos Bulosan, Jose Rizal, and Jessica Hagedorn, that semester wasn’t long enough for my professor to include too many modern Filipino writers in the curriculum.

So I knew I had a lot of books by Filipino writers to catch up on, but I was honestly surprised at how many of these books came out in the past decade. It feels slightly unbelievable to say this, but five of the best books I’ve read recently by any writer have all been written by Filipina Americans, and they all celebrated their first book birthdays in 2019 alone. Is it possible that 2019 was truly the Year of the Pinay?

I Was Their American Dream by Malaka Gharib

Reading Malaka Gharib’s graphic memoir about growing up in with a Filipina mom and Egyptian dad, I couldn’t believe how many times I thought to myself, “Wow, I thought I was the only one!” I Was Their American Dream was a really fun look at finding and forging a hyphenated identity, and embracing being different.

The Body Papers by Grace Talusan

Grace Talusan’s memoir traverses her experiences with immigration, sexual abuse, mental illness, and cancer, and reminds us all of the importance and power of speaking the seemingly unspeakable. The language is plain and beautiful, and by giving herself the space to talk about these painful experiences, she’s able to show us the nuance and the weight of all this baggage.

S omewhere In The Middle by Deborah Francisco Douglas

In Somewhere In The Middle , Deborah Francisco Douglas, a biracial Pinay, writes about her Peace Corps assignment in the Philippines, where her father was born. Growing up, she describes being somewhat disconnected from her Filipino side, and this assignment helped her connect with the culture, warts and all. This doesn’t seem to be a typical experience of most Filipino Americans, and it was a refreshing memoir to read.

Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino

Jia Tolentino is already a hugely accomplished writer and a name familiar to many millennials. It should come as no surprise that her debut collection of essays is going to top many best of 2019 lists. Every essay in this collection is wildly intelligent and thoroughly researched, but her critical takes on marriage/the wedding industrial complex and the culture of scamming are absolutely “voice of a generation”–worthy.

How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell

Jenny Odell skips the tips and tricks of unplugging (of which there are already countless books and thinkpieces) and gets right to the heart of why you should want to unplug and the important things you miss when your attention is spread thin. What sets her apart from other writers on technology is her consideration of how race and class intersect with the attention economy. How To Do Nothing is not just a manual on giving up your iPhone in 30 days to go live on Walden Pond; it gives us important historical context on the conditions that led us to relying so heavily on social media and the implications this has for the future.

Editor’s Note: T. Kira Madden’s Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls was removed from this list.

Louisiana HB 777 Would Criminalize Librarians and Libraries Who Join the American Library Association

11 Books by Filipino American Authors You Should Be Reading

Reading Lists

Pinoy writers weaving legacies of assertion, resistance, and artistic diversity into the fabric of american literature.

The first time I read a book about a person who even minorly resembled me, I was 19 and teaching at a creative writing summer camp. My coworker Sophie Lee’s YA novel What Things Mean tells the story of a young Filipina girl named Olive who uses reading to cope with feelings of loneliness and estrangement. As a Filipina-American who grew up within the monotonous landscape of white suburbia, I, too, had used books to escape my reality, oftentimes ditching invitations to ride my bike around the block for the chance to dig into a pile of newly-borrowed library books.

Though some might have me believe that the lack of representation I experienced is because of the absence of Filipino American writers in American literature, that couldn’t be further from the truth. With Filipino settlements in the U.S. dating as far back to 1783, when Filipino fishermen built a village on Saint Malo off the coast of Louisiana, Filipinos and Filipino Americans have been integral to shaping American culture into what we know it to be today. Farmer, activist, and writer Carlos Bulosan wrote what is known as the first Filipino American novel in 1943. America is in the Heart is only one of many works of literature that stand testament to how fully Filipino Americans have shaped the political, economic, and artistic landscapes of the United States.

The following Filipino American authors and their work continue to weave legacies of assertion, of resistance, and of artistic cultural diversity into the fabric of American literature.

Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen by Jose Antonio Vargas

Through his signature clear prose and vulnerable storytelling, Jose Antonio Vargas brings us into the inner life of an undocumented immigrant in his memoir, Dear America, Notes of an Undocumented Citizen . Having found freedom in writing, Vargas walks us through 25 years of his life, from his hurried departure from the Philippines to his arrest in Texas, all the while redefining what it means to be an American and to love one’s country.

Exploring feelings of unbelonging along the lines of race, citizenship, and sexuality, Vargas breathes a three-dimensionality not often granted to those we deem outcasts in society. “America was like a class subject I’d never taken, and there was too much to learn, too much to study, too much to make sense of,” he confides. With stories marked by novelty, confusion, and of course, terror, Vargas paints a complex portrait of the painstaking efforts it takes to fit in where you are repeatedly told that you don’t belong.

Fairest by Meredith Talusan

It only takes one day in Manila for someone to realize that colorism is one of the Philippines’ most pervasive problems. From commercials, to billboards, to whitening products themselves, it is difficult not to notice how the Filipino people hold the quality of light skin in such high regard. The importance ascribed onto her whiteness is one of the many challenges that Meredith Talusan grapples with in her debut memoir Fairest.

Spanning her childhood in the Philippines as a young boy with albinism, to her undergraduate days at Harvard University as a gay man, to her journey as a nonbinary individual, and finally, her life as a trans woman, Talusan’s journey home to herself proves how our self image is inescapably dictated by the importance placed on our different attributes and identities. Crossing borders of land, acceptance, and belonging, Talusan juggles the shifting senses of safety her white skin affords her—though in Manila, her fairness brought her fame and praise, Talusan soon learns that in America, her whiteness as a queer person of color grants her a false sense of inclusion that broods feelings of dishonesty and anxiety within her. Through generous confession and sharp critique, Talusan analyzes the constructed natures of race, gender, and sexuality, and how one can find grace both within and beyond its bounds.

All Heathens by Marianne Chan

Marianne Chan’s All Heathens explores how it feels to be a castaway: always searching for a soft place to land against the impossibility of homecoming. The poems in this collection illustrate methods of how to conjure up senses of belonging in places that are foreign—the harsh winters of Michigan, the markets of Germany, the parking lot of Seafood City. The poem “When We Lived in Germany” concludes with these lines: “[…] Our children are now the clocks at which / we glance to measure how long, how distant, how cruel,” pointing to the moments in which this practice of home-making still falls short.

In her poetry, Chan speaks to the things that we make sacred amidst exile: holding a mother’s hand, the all-American songs belted at karaoke, the warm homemade dishes of our youth. Challenging the perfect legacies of saints and the ones erased by colonizers, Chan interrogates how we come to revive all that we have lost to death, to time, and to the sea.

The Farm by Joanne Ramos

The stereotype of the Filipina domestic worker is not an uncommon one—the Filipina migrant is often nicknamed as the best and biggest export that the Philippines has to offer. In her debut novel The Farm, Joanne Ramos takes the character of the Filipina care worker and inserts her in a Handmaids Tale -esque dystopia that challenges ideals of motherhood, fertility, and American meritocracy.

Desperate to provide for her own daughter, the novel’s protagonist Jane finds herself as a “host” at Golden Oaks, a “baby farm” in Massachusetts. As the surrogate of a wealthy white fetus, Jane loses autonomy over her body—at The Farm, her every move is surveilled, from her eating habits to her emails. Intimately familiar with the capitalism constraints and familial duties that Filipina migrants face, Ramos writes, “Because in America you only have to know how to make money. Money buys everything else.” Conflicts of class, race, and integrity are all up for the taking in the world Ramos has carefully crafted—one that, while at times hard to wrap one’s mind around, isn’t entirely different from our own.

The Body Papers: A Memoir by Grace Talusan

For the undocumented person, their body might be the only place where they feel at home. For those who have experienced sexual assault, their body might be the one place from which they are constantly running away. It is these feelings of sanctity and alienation that Grace Talusan delicately navigates in her memoir The Body Papers .

Told through a series of interconnected essays that include excerpts of legal documents and photographs, Talusan explores how her body shifts and changes—to both herself and those around her—as she traverses thresholds of continents, kinship, and memory. Spanning explorations of her own singular body and the collective body of the Filipino people, Talusan makes a daring argument for all that a body can hold: its traumas and its triumphs, its secrets and its histories.

In a new afterword published in 2020, Talusan writes, “From readers, I’ve heard that my book is a balm. My publisher was also right. A book is a bomb.” The Body Papers is undeniably both: a salve for the hurt that others have caused us and an explosion of the parameters of how we reckon with our past, how we come to tell our most harrowing truths.

ESL or You Weren’t Here by Aldrin Valdez

Aldrin Valdez’s first poetry collection ESL or You Weren’t Here is situated at the edge of various thresholds—perpetually desiring to traverse, always threatening to withdraw. The work orbits around three overarching meditations: the loss of the poet’s grandmother, their immigration to America in their youth, and their journey through accepting their own queerness. Through hypnotic verse and jarring confessions, Valdez paints a dynamic portrait of the self housed in fluidity, occupying the middle-grounds of time, geographical space, and understanding. Meditating on the body’s physical absence and its impact on memory, Valdez proposes in the poem “Her Hand:”

“but each organ remembers. Perhaps. Each organ has a soul”

By experimenting with the ever-moving boundaries of language, sex, identity, and death, Valdez holds generous space for the shapes each one takes up in the face of insufferable loss.

Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay

Randy Ribay’s untraditional coming of age story Patron Saints of Nothing tells the story of a 17-year-old Filipino American Jay and his quest for justice, truth, and healing in the wake of his cousin Jun’s murder. After hearing about Jun’s death at the hands of Rodrigo Duterte’s War on Drugs , Jay flies to the Philippines, his father’s homeland, to try and unearth all that his family has adamantly shrouded in secrecy. As he pieces together the truth behind Jun’s tumultuous last few years filled with drug addiction and familial conflict, Jay grapples with issues of identity, morality, and whether there is such a thing as pure good or pure evil. As he comes to terms with Jun’s past, Jay learns that embracing one’s heritage isn’t only about its food and tourist destinations, but about owning its complex histories of injustice and corruption. In prose that is as captivating as it is accessible, Ribay has created an opportunity for difficult and often polarizing conversations around politics and secrecy to come to the fore.

Documents by Jan Henry Gray

In his mesmerizing poetry collection Documents, Jan Henry Gray meditates on how certain bodies within the United States are reduced to papers and legality—or lack thereof. Creatively reimagining immigration documents—both its contents and its implications—Gray interrogates the line between surveillance and intimacy, between disclosure and admission. In a poem titled “I-797-C,” Gray critiques United States Citizenship and Immigration Services’s [USCIS] probing nature and how marriages involving non-citizens are approached with suspicion. It ends with these damning lines:

“do you love him supporting evidence why do you love him Tuesday March 17, 2015 8:00a, USCIS Chicago, IL don’t mention citizenship talk about love, how you got married for love.”

Whether through moments like these, or through the Maid Poem series about the plights of housemaids and domestic workers, or in tender notes of love and longing, Gray argues for Filipinos’ right to be seen as whole people by shining a light on all that cannot be encapsulated on a piece of paper.

Insurrecto by Gina Apostol

In her mind-bending novel Insurrecto , Gina Apostol interrogates the notion of history itself: who has the right to claim it and how do we make sense of narratives that grate against one another? More importantly, who is in charge of which stories we remember, and from which perspectives are they told?

Two worlds collide when Filipino American writer and translator Magsalin and American filmmaker Chiara embark on a roadtrip to collaborate on a film about a notorious Philippine-American War massacre that left 300,000 Filipinos dead. Bothered by the fact that Chiara has chosen tell the story from the perspective of an American war photographer, Magsalin tries her hand at rewriting the script and retelling the story from the point of view of the true historical figure Casiana Nasionales, who was considered an “insurrecto.” At once questioning the merit of objectivity and exposing the power of subjectivity, Apostol dares to explore the nuances and legacy and how writing ourselves into our pasts can serve as a way to heal present wounds.

The Galleons by Rick Barot

“At a certain point I stopped and asked what poems I could write, which were different from then poems I wanted to write, with the wanting being proof that I couldn’t write those poems, that they were impossible.”

Early on in his poetry collection The Galleons , Rick Barot cuts his work out for himself, as seen through the opening lines of “The Flea.” Faithful to the wandering mind, the poems in this book leave no stone unturned when it comes to the musings of a writer and everything that comes to make up a life. Speaking on everything from literary inspirations like Virginia Woolf and Frank O’Hara, to young loves lost to the constant movement of time and space, Barot samples a wide expanse of human feeling in language both devastatingly specific and painfully universal.

The collection’s namesake, “The Galleons,” is made up of a series of ten poems which work to expand the meanings of odyssey—the states-long rides of long-distance truck drivers, a soul’s passing into death, and of course, the Spanish galleons that traveled to and from the Philippines. Over the course of The Galleons , Barot takes us on a journey himself—through history, through memory, through different planes of knowing.

America is Not the Heart by Elaine Castillo

America is Not the Heart ’s protagonist Geronima “Hero” De Vera is a tried and true risk taker—this much is apparent from the book’s epigraph, a quote from Carlos Bulsonan’s America Is in the Heart which reads, “I knew I could trust a gambler because I had been one of them.”

When she moves in with her uncle Pol and his family at their home in Milpitas, California, Hero not only migrates countries, but universes. Fleeing to the only place that will have her after she spent a decade as a doctor in the New People’s Army and as a war prisoner under the Marcos regime, Hero must relearn the ropes of community, care, and family in this strange new land.

In America is Not the Heart , Elaine Castillo explores the terrains of American suburbia, Philippine martial law, and the American dream—their crossroads and intersections, their contradictions and incompatibilities. As she begins to form new bonds with her little cousin Roni and her love interest Rosalyn, Hero fearlessly learns to negotiate the traumas of her past with the unfamiliar norms of her present. Expertly told through a challenging yet enjoyable mix of English, Spanish, Tagalog, Pangasinan, and Ilocano, Castillo uses this family saga to delve into the unexpected people and places we make new havens of, and new lives with, in a land not our own.

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Kathang Pinoy

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Reading List

FICTION BY FILIPINA AUTHORS

America Is Not The Heart

In The Country

Arsenic and Adobo

by Joanne Ramos

Once Upon a Sunset

Something in Between

When The Elephants Dance

NONFICTION BY FILIPINA AUTHORS

I Was Their American Dream

Babaylan: Filipinos and The Call of the Indigenous

Lola’s House: Filipino Women Living With War

The Body Papers

Malaya: Essays on Freedom

by Meredith Talusan

Somewhere in the Middle

Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion

Letters To A Young Brown Girl

Join the Filipina Authors Book Club

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10 Contemporary Filipina Authors You Absolutely Should Be Reading

1. Barbara Jane Reyes.

2. Catherine Ceniza Choy.

3. Conchitina Cruz.

4. Eileen R. Tabios.

5. Felisa Batacan.

6. Genevive L. Asenjo.

7. Jessica Zafra.

8. Lakambini Sitoy.

9. Marjorie Evasco.

10. Merlinda Bobis.

Selected References

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4 Award-Winning Must-Read Filipino Authors and Poets

Lysley Tenorio

Conchitina Cruz

Gina Apostol

Top 5 Things To Know Before You Self-Publish Your First Book

Filipino Literary Gems: Celebrating the Best Works of Philippine Authors

Best authors and literature in the Philippines

The different genres of Philippine literature

Some of the best authors in the Philippines

The different literatures of the Philippines