Better include these Filipino titles on your book list
August may be seen as a “Ghost Month,” but with its chill rainy weather, it is hard not to make it a month dedicated to reading. And if you are looking for new titles to add to your book list, this year’s winners at the 39th National Book Awards are definitely dependable partners to accompany you on your reading journey this month.
Last July 30, The National Book Development Board (NBDB) and the Manila Critics Circle (MCC) presented their list of champions. This year’s cycle marks the comeback of the awards after its postponement due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Out of the 110 nominees, 27 winners took home the prestigious prize across 25 categories. For the Drama and Poetry (English) categories, there were two winners selected for both awards. The Ateneo de Manila University Press was named the Publisher of the Year with a total of eight winning titles.
“The National Book Awards, by empowering agents of creativity to bring their ideas to fruition, aligns with the daring, yet hopeful economic outlook of the NBDB to reinvigorate the Philippine publishing industry,” said NBDB chairman Dante Francis Ang II in his message. “By increasing access points for books across the country through our programs such as the Book Nook and by expanding the market for publishers through our participation in international fairs, the NDBB is set to leverage the power of our number—our archipelago of stories from the islands of Batanes to Tawi-Tawi and our global diaspora that knows no boundaries.”
“While some people might say that awards are really just secondary to what is truly important—which is the book—I believe, like many of you, that the prestige and attention that they bring to creative work amounts to something greater,” said NBDB executive director Charisse Aquino-Tugade during her welcome remarks. “They encourage wider readership and spotlights what are otherwise overlooked voices, which then encourages sales and helps our booksellers and publishers, which in turn encourages wider authorship.”
Check out the full list of winners below:
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