Wednesday, November 16
Opening Day of Manila International Literary Festival's "The Great Philippine Book Cafe" at Ayala Museum, organized by the National Book Development Board! Program partners for this three-day event are the NBDB, the Embassy of the U.S.A. in Manila, Philippine Airlines, Filipinas Heritage Library, The Book Development Association of the Philippines, Inc., Penguin Books, Vibal Foundation, The Manila Bulletin, Central Books, and Ayala Museum.
An international crowd of approximately three hundred attended the opening. To be honored this day were Pulitzer Prize winners Edward P. Jones (The Known World) and Junot Diaz (The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao). Other writers to be featured over the entire festival are Holly Thompson (U.S.A.), Rachel Kahan (U.S.A.), Jayapriya Vasudevan (India), Ravi Mirchandani (UK), and Priya Doraswamy (U.S.A.).
I'm not posting the festival's kilometric schedule here, only the 10:30 AM - 12:00 NN session "Writing from the Margins: Writers from Minority Background on Writing for a Mainstream Audience within the Mainstream of American Publishing" showcasing EPJ and Junot Diaz. Sarge Lacuesta (one of Post's IWP at Iowa University exchange alumni) introduced Junot, Vince Groyon (also one of Post's IWP at Iowa University exchange alumni, as I'd mentioned in a previous posting) introduced EPJ and moderated his dialogue with the audience. After their individual presentations, both EPJ and Junot led an open forum.
Fans of EPJ and Junot lined up for autographs (and the inevitable photo-ops). A woman named Que Mai had flown in all the way from Vietnam just to have her book signed by EPJ; I took photos of them together on her cell phone camera.
National Book Store and Filipinas Heritage Library had book sales displays. PEOPLE WERE BUYING BOOKS!
I observed something totally new to me: EPJ and Junot can autograph books WHILE STANDING. In the Philippines, when authors are approached for autographs, they usually look for a chair to sit in (if not a table as well to write on).
Lunch for EPJ and Junot, hosted by the National Book Development Board, was held on the upper floor of Via Mare's Oyster Bar in Greenbelt 3. Our hosts included lechon kawali among the dishes in case the Ambassador would arrive, which was highly unlikely because today was Secretary of State Hilary Clinton's major activity day elsewhere in Metro Manila.
It was wonderful having two Pulitzer Prize winners dining in one room together. Yes, before we sat down at table, I shamelessly had my photo taken BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM.
After lunch we proceeded (without Junot, who had an independent but similarly hectic schedule constructed for him) to the Cultural Center of the Philippines. We were met at the entrance by Bernie Abella, Head of International Linkages, and Ed Cabagnot, Division Chief of Media Arts. We called on President Raul Sunico and Artistic Director Chris Millado. Ed gave EPJ and Will a tour of the CCP.
At the CCP's Dream Theater, EPJ and Will screened the independent film Nino. An interaction followed over tea with producer/director Loy Arcenas, producer/writer Raymond Lee, producer/writer Gay Domingo, writer Rody Vera, and producer/director and columnist for The Philippine Daily Inquirer Rica Arevalo. Hermie Beltran, Division Chief for Literary Arts, and Vicky Belarmino and Minda Casagan, Media Arts cultural officers, joined the dialogue-discussion, which was held in the Little Theater Lobby.
Will, a Literature major, made many new friends for the Embassy today.
As for myself, I can't believe that, after all the program preparations we made, which seemed like forever, we are having EPJ for ONLY TWO DAYS more. After dinner last night, as a matter of fact, Will turned to me and said, "Do your realize, that was our last dinner with Edward?"
I know that we shall miss EPJ after he leaves the Philippines.
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