PSA: Philippine Book Festival 2024 officially kicks off
No matter how much time has passed since you joined a book club—or picked up something to read—the magic of books never fades. Maybe it's time to rekindle that spark at the Philippine Book Fair 2024, the largest traveling book festival in the country that highlights Filipino books, which officially kicked off on Thursday, April 25, and runs until the 28th.
Publishers, authors, illustrators, and collectives bring their titles under one roof at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.
The venue has six different sections: General, Kid Lit, Komiks, Booktopia, Aral Aklat, and Food Stalls.
The General section is where you can find booths by different organizations such as the Korea Copyright Protection Agency, National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Komisyon ng Wikang Pilipino, and the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, among others.
You can find books for the little ones from publications like Adarna House, Lampara Books, ABC Children's Books, and more in the Kid Lit area. Meanwhile, works by The Heart Project PH, Comic Odyssey, Anino Comics, Tarantadong Kalbo, and more are available in the Komiks section.
Titles from Vibal Group, Ateneo de Manila University Press, GMA Paperkat, Anvil Publishing Inc., and more are found in the Booktopia area; while Rex Group of Companies, Phoenix Publishing House, Central Book Supply Inc. are located in the Aral Aklat area.
The festival might be a lot to navigate, but the discoveries are well worth the effort.
More than just a book fair
In addition to book sales, various pocket events will be held simultaneously on different stages. These include panel talks, book launches, masterclasses, slam poetry, and kid-friendly activities like storytelling, puppet shows, and arts and crafts sessions.
Notable events include a book launch for Gren, Ang Kaibigan Kong Alien with actors Marian Rivera, Gabby Concepcion, and Raphael Landicho; a talk with historian Ambeth Ocampo, a read-along with GMA's Encantadia stars; a book reading event with Ayn Bernos; and a cosplay competition.
Kids, on Day 2, can participate in the Heneral Tuna storytelling by Aklat Alamid and an arts and crafts session with Anya Sntos-Uy and Mia Claravall-Reyes. There's also a scavenger hunt and more storytelling on Days 3 and 4.
Immersive space for everyone
The book festival is also an avenue to learn more about history. The Rare Book Collection Exhibit from the National Library of the Philippines will also be displayed at the festival. It includes the first editions and facsimile of Dr. Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere (1887) and El Filibusterismo (1891), as well as Pedro Paterno’s Ninay (1885), the first novel authored by a Filipino in the Philippines.
Kids can visit the Book Nook booth, their version of the National Book Development Board's reading and writing spaces that are usually found in remote areas around the Philippines.
The entrance to the festival is free. Guests can register in advance here but walk-ins are also welcome. It is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.