Road to Frankfurt: PH debuts at Leipziger Buchmesse
As Guest of Honor at Frankfurter Buchmesse 2025, the Philippines announced its key initiatives, major programs, and activities during a press talk in Berlin earlier this month.
Sen. Loren Legarda, the driving force behind the initiative, said, “The Philippines’ presence in Germany is more than a literary offering—it is a call to journey through stories that sail across oceans, voices that weave connections between cultures, and ideas that know no boundaries.”
The Philippines Guest of Honor presentation at Frankfurter Buchmesse 2025 (PHLGoH2025) is a collaborative undertaking of the National Book Development Board (NBDB), the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Office of Sen. Loren Legarda.
The PHLGoH2025 Translation Subsidy Program for Foreign Publishers, led by the NBDB, has facilitated the translation of more than 120 Filipino books into foreign languages.
Twenty-seven titles have been translated into German, including the highly anticipated “Aswanglaut” by Allan Derain, “Tiempo Muerto” by Caroline Hau, “The Collaborators” by Katrina Tuvera, “The Singing Detainee and the Librarian with One Book: Essays on Exile” by Michael Beltran, “Second Opinion” by Gideon Lasco, “Essays on Philippine Cinema” by Nick Deocampo, and graphic novels such as “Mga Walang Pangalan Pero Andyan” by Archie Oclos, “Death Be Damned” by Mike Alcazaren, Noel Pascual, and AJ Bernardo, “Depikto” by Ruvel Abril, and “Josefina” by Russell Molina and Ace Enriquez.
More titles are set for release later this year.
The Philippines has unveiled its initial lineup of authors for the program at the Pavilion and National Stand at the Frankfurter Buchmesse 2025. This selection features both established and emerging voices, including award-winning novelists, poets, indie authors, and publishers who are shaping the future of Philippine literature.
Five national artists lead the roster of creatives: Virgilio S. Almario, Resil B. Mojares, Kidlat Tahimik, Gemino H. Abad, and Ricky Lee.
Notable multiawarded authors include Jose Dalisay, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa, and trauma journalist Patricia Evangelista, alongside poets and novelists Luna Sicat Cleto, Luisa Igloria, Marjorie Evasco, and Merlie Alunan.
The lineup also includes children’s book writer Luis Gatmaitan, novelists Sarge Lacuesta and Ronaldo S. Vivo Jr., and leading graphic novelists Budjette Tan, Manix Abrera, and Mervin Malonzo. More authors will be revealed at the Frankfurt press conference in June.
Building momentum for its Guest of Honor role at Frankfurt 2025, the Philippines made its debut at the Leipziger Buchmesse, which is happening until tomorrow, presenting German-translated Filipino works at Hall 4, C402, and 11 events on different stages at the fairgrounds and in the city of Leipzig.
The Philippine stand at Leipzig features 150 titles, and the delegation includes both award-winning and emerging authors. Representing the country’s thriving graphic novel and comic scene are Renren Galeno, J. Philip Ignacio, and Paolo Herras. Celebrated authors Daryll Delgado, Jessica Zafra, and Stephanie Coo will discuss themes like climate change, colonialism, globalization, and social inequality. Translators Kristian Cordero, Annette Hug, and Monica Fröhlich will talk about the art of literary translation.
The Philippines’ Guest of Honor participation extends beyond literature with “Oculus,” an exhibition at the Heidelberger Kunstverein.
Curated by Patrick Flores (also the curator of the Philippine pavilion at the Frankurter Buchmesse 2025), the exhibition references José Rizal’s ophthalmological studies in Heidelberg and his novel “Noli Me Tangere,” which he partly wrote in the city. Artists Stephanie Misa and Joscha Steffens work out how seeing, shaped by both ecology and imagination, can give rise to visions. It runs until May 18.
Visit philippinesfrankfurt2025.com.
