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The Philippine Book Festival (PBF), the country’s biggest traveling book festival, is back for a four-day celebration showcasing the richness of Philippine literature, culture, and arts. This unique book fair integrates education, entertainment, tourism, and shopping into a family-friendly event.
This year’s PBF will be at the World Trade Center in Pasay from April 25 to 28, 2024. It will bring publishers, authors, artists, educators, and readers together.
Some highlights include “A Day with Gwy Saludes,” featuring an exclusive book signing and meet-and-greet session with the author. Historian and bestselling author Ambeth Ocampo will lead “Ambeth Without the Overcoat,” a book signing session. National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricky Lee will present “Trip to Quiapo,” while “Dahling Nick: A Tribute to National Artist Nick Joaquin” will honor the renowned writer.
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Other sessions include “Aklat Para Sa Accla: New Trends in Boys Love and Girls Love,” “Comics Can Change the World” with Patti Ramos, and “Zine-making 101,” a workshop on crafting independently-produced “fanzines” led by Komiket’s Bunny Luz.
Attendees can anticipate the comeback of the Rare Book Collection by the National Library of the Philippines, which will feature a new selection of rare manuscripts and facsimiles; the Book Bar–a library of sorts filled with award-winning books; Cosplay Filipiniana, a cosplay competition allowing fans to portray their beloved Philippine literary characters; and Guhit Pambata, an exhibit highlighting the creations of some of our best children’s book illustrators. The PBF will launch the Tabuan Food Hall this year, wherein guests can feast between pages.
Here’s the complete list of activities for the PBF:
Day 1
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Day 2
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Day 3
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Day 4
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PBF will bring back its four popular realms: Kid Lit, a land just for children; Komiks, which puts the spotlight on Pinoy komiks; Booktopia, home to an abundance of fiction and non-fiction titles; and Aral Aklat, which is devoted to textbooks and educational materials. There will be a Creators Lab, Main Stage, and Kids-at-Play that highlight exciting talks, activities, and workshops more specific to the interests of readers and fans of those genres.
Panels, puppet shows, storytelling with surprise television and movie celebrities, and live performances are also scheduled throughout the four-day festival.
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The festival will be a feast for the eyes, as it features the designs of talented graphic designer and children’s book illustrators Marc Vincent Soriano, Liza Flores, and Beth Parrocha. Parrocha designed the four realms, finding inspiration in the primary elements: water for Kid Lit, earth for Komiks, fire for Aral Aklat, and air for Booktopia. Each realm also has its color—pink, purple, yellow, and aqua—to make it easy for guests to figure out which part of the festival they’re in.
The Philippine Book Festival is part of the National Book Development Board’s effort to promote a reading culture and develop the publishing industry in the Philippines.
The fair is open to the public from 8 AM to 8 PM on April 25 to 28, 2024, with no entrance fees. For more information on the Philippine Book Festival and to register for free, visit philippinebookfest.com.
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