Int’l book festival in SF to gather Filipino authors and their readers

SAN FRANCISCO — Now on its 5th year, the Fil-Am International Book Festival is offering a diverse program with the theme “Humanity, Diversity and Resistance in Arts,” in response to increasing anti-immigrant views in the country.

Philippine-American Writers and Artists, in partnership with the San Francisco Library, is hosting the book festival on Saturday and Sunday, October 12 to 13 at San Francisco Main Library.

Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas will be the keynote speaker in the plenary on October 13. Vargas is the author of Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen and is advocate for the rights of the undocumented in the United States. As a founder of Define American, he aims to promote a dialogue about immigrant issues including the Dream Act to help provide a channel to citizenship for the undocumented.

Authors, educators, journalists and activists from all over the world — Philippines, New Zealand, Canada – will headline literary events, including book readings, performances, storytelling, a puppet show, and craft and coloring for children. Graphic and fantasy novels popular among adults will be well represented by artists from both the Philippines and the U.S.

This festival aims to enable writers from “diverse homes,” genres and generations to come together and share their literary works in fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. As a culinary component, writers and chefs will share their stories and recipes of their best loved Filipino dishes. Filipino cuisine has been a growing trend in the country over the last 5 years.

Among featured writers who will do readings are Walter Ang (Barangay to Broadway: Filipino American Theater History); Elizabeth Ann Besa-Quirino (Instant Filipino Recipes: My Mother’s Traditional Philippine Food in a Multicooker Pot, and My Mother’s Philippine Recipes; Cecilia Brainard (Melisande in Paris and When the Rainbow Goddess Wept); Aileen Cassinetto (The Pink House of Purple Yam Preserves, and Speak Poetry Anthology, Volume 1); Cindy Fazzi (My MacArthur), Elmer Omar Bascos Pizo (Leaving Shadow Behind Us); Grace Talusan (The Body Papers) ; Criselda Yabes (Broken Islands and Crying Mountain); Alfred A. Yuson (The Music Child & the Mahjong Queen), EJR David, Gina Apostol, Elaine Castillio, Grace Talusan, Erin Entrada Kelly, and Randy Ribay.

Since 2009, PAWA has been creating venues for Filipino American artists through the literary and cultural events series, such as book readings, performances, and the series of textile exhibits of The Hinabi Project.

The all-volunteer organization depends solely on donations by individuals, foundations, corporations, and non-profit organizations, to host the book fest. To learn more about PAWA and the book fest, please visit pawainc.com and filbookfestival.org.