Thursday, June 15, 2017

Philippine Center of International PEN Invitation to the Book Launch of Cecilia Brainard's Two Novels



An invitation to the launching of two novels
THE NEWSPAPER WIDOW and MAGDALENA
(University of Santo Tomas Publishing House)
by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard
Hosted by the Philippine Center of International PEN
24 June 2017, Saturday, 5:00 PM
Solidaridad Bookshop, 531 Padre Faura St., Ermita, Manila
Open to the public. Admission is free.
For inquiries, please contact Solidaridad at (632) 2541086 or email philippinepen@yahoo.com.
About the Author
Cecilia Manguerra Brainard is the author of ten books, including the newly-released The Newspaper Widow, which was shortlisted by the Cirilo F. Bautista Prize for the Novel in 2015. Brainard's second novel, Magdalena, inspired a stage play, “Gabriela's Monologue” (produced by Bindlestiff Studio, SF). The Philippine edition of Magdalena was released in 2016 by the UST Publishing House. Her first novel, When the Rainbow Goddess Wept, received international critical acclaim. Her short story collections include Vigan and Other Stories, Acapulco at Sunset and Other Stories, and Woman with Horns and Other Stories. She also co-authored a novel, Angelica's Daughters: a Dugtungan Novel. Aside from writing, she edited ten books and manages PALH (Philippine American Literary House), a literary press. 
Cecilia has received a California Arts Council Fellowship in Fiction, a Brody Arts Fund Award, a Special Recognition Award for her work dealing with Asian American youths, as well as a Certificate of Recognition from the California State Senate, 21st District. She has also been awarded by the Filipino and Filipino American communities she has served. She received the Filipinas Magazine Arts Award, and the Outstanding Individual Award from her birth city, Cebu, Philippines. She has received several travel grants in the Philippines, from the USIS (United States Information Service).
About The Newspaper Widow
That super wordsmith from Cebu, the Philippines, Cecilia Brainard, never spins a
boring story. Her latest is a master whodunit that is also a period piece, a social
document and most of all, a literary jewel. A must read for any humdrum season
of the year. ~ F. Sionil Jose, Philippine National Artist for Literature
Cecilia Brainard’s deft hand for textured character and nuanced storytelling is on magnificent display in her latest novel The Newspaper Widow. What begins as a murder mystery transforms into something greater along the way, as love, loyalty, and friendship are tested and refined. Shortlisted for the inaugural Cirilo F. Bautista Prize for the Novel, Brainard’s novel is captivating read.
 ~ Dean Francis Alfar, author of Salamanca and The Kite of Stars and Other Stories
About Magdalena
With her second novel, Magdalena, Cecilia Brainard adds new portraits to the gallery in Philippine literature. She has always had a strong sense of place. Here, she provides an inner landscape as well. Together, these provide the coordinate for the family secrets that bind the characters as securely as bloodlines. By the end they have glimpsed who they have become, allowing the novel beyond its last page, to live on in the readers’ thoughts. ~ Linda Ty-Casper
Expertly written by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, Magdalena is set in the chaotic backdrop of twentieth-century East Asia. A romantic, powerful tale of three generations of Filipino women, written with a close eye on the terrors of war and the Japanese invasion of the Philippines during World War II, Magdalena is an intense, involving, highly recommended saga that documents Cecilia Manguerra Brainard as a gifted author with a mastery of story telling that will keep the reader’s total attention and engagement from first page to last! ~ Midwest Book Review

Read also:

No comments:

Post a Comment