The Philippine edition of The Future Is a Country I Do Not Live In by Cynthia Buiza will be launched by Savage Mind Bookshop at the Saeculum Arts Festival in Bicol!
From Savage Mind:
“Savage Mind Bookshop is set to open a new art festival today, December 16 up to December 30, 2022. With more than fifty poets, scholars, visual artists and filmmakers gathering for the first time for what has been called Saeculum (translated as a new time), this cultural event will have a series of book launchings, film screenings and lectures and conversation. ‘The idea of celebrating Saeculum comes in a period when the world is now embracing the post-pandemic realities. This is our way of encouraging people particularly our artists to reflect on our notion of time, memory and eternity as reflected in the arts, books and cinema that we are presenting to the public. Saeculum is a call to celebrate the creative spirit,’ said Kristian Sendon Cordero, the founder and director of Savage Mind.
“Seven books of poetry published by the Ateneo de Naga University Press, Savage Mind Publishing House and Paloma Press (US) will be launched during the festival. Of these seven books, three are debut collections: Teddy Espila’s The Broken Places, Raul Bradecina’s Mayong Katapusan Na Pabalon: Asin Iba Pang Huyon-Huyon, and Cynthia Buiza’s The Future Is A Country I Do Not Live In. Buiza who is based in California is also an occasional painter and will open an exhibition together with Iriga-based artist, Veronica Ibarreta. Other books that will be launched are the poetry collections of Jaime Jesus Borlagdan [and] Kristian Sendon Cordero. Bikolnon poets Enrique Villasis, Soleil David and Dr. Sonny Sendon who all won a Palanca Prize will read from their award-winning poetry collection.
“Aside from the poets, Neni Sta Romana-Cruz is also launching her collection of gothic tales while Abdon Balde Jr. will launch his trilingual retellings of Bikol’s beloved folktales and other lore. Balde’s book and Cordero’s both received a publication funding support from the National Book Development Board. Fr. Andrew Gimenez Recepcion, a Catholic priest who is based in Rome will also launch his second book of essays entitled The Islands of Faith: Crossroads of Mission. Fictionists Allan Derain, Abdon Balde, and Nap Arcilla will also share their poetics on their respective creative projects alongside Ms. Karina Bolasco, university press director of Ateneo de Manila University who will lead the conversation on Philippine contemporary novels.
“During the festival, two important art prizes will be awarded: The Premyo Victorio Cabangon Valledor for Best Bikol Novel and the Premyo Gualbeto Cea Manlagñit for Young Bikolnon Visual Artists. For the Valledor Prize, three finalists were shortlisted: Niles Jordan Breis, Anthony Diaz and Marvin Davila Aquino. Ten finalists were shortlisted for the Manlagñit Prize.
“Gualberto Cea Manlagñit was a prolific Bikolnon writer and an occasional visual artist. Widely acknowledged for his lyrical poems, Manlagñit was also an editor and a publisher of a local newspaper. A Bikol-English Dictionary which he was able to finish is now ready for publication. In celebration of his life and works, his estate, together with Ateneo De Naga University Press and Savage Mind have decided to launch an annual contest honouring the best young poets and visual artists in the Bikol region. In its second year, a watercolor painting competition was launched. 10 young visual artists interpreted four of Manlagñit’s poems.
Victorio Cabangon Valledor, one of the top insurance brokers in the country today [and] a native of Catanduanes, has decided to sponsor this literary prize in search of the best contemporary Bikol novel.
“The festival’s culminating activity will be the film screening and tribute to artist and provocateur Rox Lee who was recently honored with a lifetime achievement award by the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Filipino. Of equal importance is the second Jose Rizal Memorial Lecture which will delivered by cultural historian, Dr. Stephanie Coo of Ateneo de Manila University. Dr. Coo is the author of the award-winning book, Clothing the Colony: Nineteenth-Century Philippine Sartorial Culture, 1820-1896.”
Buiza’s The Future Is a Country I Do Not Live In was also successfully launched at the Philippine Expressions Bookshop in California and Albay Arts Foundation in Legazpi City.
