DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/02 Feb) – Want to have a preview of Mindanao through the years?
Come to the Davao City leg of the 1st Mindanao Book Festival on February 4 and 5 at the Ateneo de Davao University and see the collection of old and new Mindanao books, meet authors and listen to lectures and poetry-reading.
Last year, at least 37 Mindanao books were published, bringing the total number of books on Mindanao or written by Mindanawons from 2000 to 2013 at 346. Majority of last year’ harvest is still on history and peacebuilding in the Bangsamoro, the dominant themes since 2000.
But the 2013 harvest has three photobooks – two photographic guides to amphibians, reptiles and bats of Mindanao, and a photobook on the other faces and facets of Sulu.
The Mindanao Book Festival is the first ever attempt to exhibit books on Mindanao issues written by Mindanawon and non-Mindanawon authors, and other books written by Mindanawon writers. Aside from Davao City, it will also be held in the cities of Zamboanga, Cagayan de Oro and Cotabato, Cebu and Manila, within the first quarter this year.
The Mindanao News and Information Center Service Cooperative (MindaNews Co-op) envisions the bookfest to be an annual exhibit and gathering of Mindanawon authors. This year’s theme is “Writing Mindanao, Righting Mindanao.”
The Davao City leg is in partnership with AusAID and the Ateneo de Davao University’s Department of Literature.
In each of the six cities, the bookfest will honor Mindanawons in the region who had books published in 2013. It will also pay tribute to Mindanawons in the region who won awards such as the Palanca Awards for Literature and the National Book Awards.
Fr. Joel Tabora, President of the Ateneo de Davao University, whose collection of essays was published last year, will deliver the welcome remarks at the opening at 1:30 p.
m. on February 4 at F700, Finster Hall at the ADDU’s Jacinto campus.
Palanca award-winner Dr. Macario Tiu, whose book, “Davao: Reconstructing History from Text and Memory” won the National Book Awards for History in 2005, will speak on the bookfest’s theme, “Writing Mindanao, Righting Mindanao” while Professor Rufa Guiam of the Mindanao State University in General Santos City will speak on “Documenting the Mindanao Peace Landscape.”
The second edition of Tiu’s award-winning history book was among the 37 Mindanao books published last year.
The opening of the exhibit area at F705-A will be held immediately after the recognition of 2013 book authors and tribute to the awardees from the region. There will be a book signing by the 2013 authors who are present.
A poetry reading will be held at 3:50 p.m. on Wednesday, February 5 at J301, Jubillee Hall, ADDU Jacinto campus.
Book lovers, historians, students and anyone interested to see the exhibit of, or buy, Mindanao books and journals, or listen to lectures and poetry reading are encouraged to attend the festival. (MindaNews)
