The Buchmesse GoH gig will of course open up Filipino literature to the world, but the Philippines is also a vibrant market for global exports.
The Philippine Book Festival in underway in Davao City, and the focus is on the impressive work the National Book Development Board (NBDB) is doing in promoting literacy in what is already one of the most exciting publishing markets in SE Asia.
Per The Manila Times, Philippines Vice President Sara Duterte said that rekindling the interest of learners in writing and reading will be a cornerstone of the recently launched Matatag K-10 curriculum that corrects the flaws that stunted writing and reading skills and contributed to learning losses. Duterte stressed the need for “accurate, responsive, and culturally relevant” reading materials, noting that books and other related materials could change lives.
Overshadowing the event was the formal announcement that the Philippines would be Guest of Honour at the 2025 Frankfurt Book Fair, something the country has been trying for since 2016. This will be only the second South East Asia country to make the grade, joining Indonesia on the wall of fame.
Buchmesse director Juergen Boos said, “I believe for many of us in Europe, Philippine literature is currently still rather unknown territory. As the country steps into its role as Guest of Honour, we will learn a lot about the importance of storytelling and today’s cultural scene for Philippine civil society.”
To which I would add there’s also much to learn about the Philippines as a publishing market. The Buchmesse GoH gig will of course open up Filipino literature to the world, but the Philippines is also a vibrant market for global exports.
We need look no further than the phenomenal success of Big Bad Wolf in the country to see how interested Filipinos are in English-language books. Next month will see Big Bad Wolf in Cebu with a 2-million book mega-sale, and this comes not long after Big Bad Wolf ran a similar event in Manila.
September will also see the Manila International Book Fair kick off – a further reminder of the central role books play in Filipino life.
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