Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Book Review of How I Became a Writer, by Elfren S. Cruz

 




Book Review of HOW I BECAME A WRITER: ESSAYS BY FILIPINO AND FILIPINO AMERICAN WRITERS, by Efren Cruz.  

https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2025/10/19/2480826/writers-conversation


Writers in Conversation, by Elfren S. Cruz

Published October 19, 2025, Philippine Star


“How I Became a Writer” (2025), edited by California-based writer Cecilia Manguerra Brainard and published by Vibal Foundation under its World Nonfictions imprint, is a readable anthology composed of personal essays written by Filipino and Filipino American writers reflecting on their creative beginnings. And talking about how it all began. Conceived originally as a digital series on Brainard’s blog (the “Filipino FilAm Series”), the project evolved into a significant literary collection, launched on June 7, 2025, in Makati. The essays – some heartfelt, others insightful – are meant not only for remembrance but also serve as reading material in creative writing courses and Philippine literary history classes.

Friday, December 5, 2025

Guest Blogger - Stephanie Lee for Jewel Eternal

My Guest Blogger is Stephanie Lee, founder of Jewel Eternal. Enjoy the photos of her beautiful creations. These pieces are affordable, so be sure and check out her website at www.JewelEternal.com . 



Hello, I’m Stephanie — founder of Jewel Eternal. I’m honored to share a little of my heart and my craft.

As a jewelry maker, that touches me deeply. I spend a lot of time thinking about why people wear what they wear — and what emotions or memories sit quietly behind a ring or necklace.


 My work centers around custom fine jewelry — pieces tailored to each person’s style, story, and purpose. Whether it’s an everyday ring, a symbolic pendant, a moissanite engagement ring, or a piece meant specifically for travel, I focus on durability, elegance, and personal meaning at an affordable price.

 I create custom pieces using moissanite, diamonds, and other fine gemstones, set exclusively in precious metals — 925 sterling silver, solid 14k gold, or solid platinum. Some clients want something bold for a milestone. Others want discreet, beautiful travel-friendly jewelry they can enjoy without worry. Many want something simple and refined for daily wear or a keepsake gift to mark an occasion in life.

 I love creating pieces that quietly become part of someone’s life story.



Mosaic Art - 2026 Project

 

Mosaic art

Thinking of 2026 -- I have some talks, book projects, and I'd like to do mosaic work again. I really enjoyed creating these, and I still have a lot of beautiful Mexican tiles in the garage. In the Spring, when the weather is better, I can do this again, God willing.





#mosaicart #mosaics #tilework #hobbies

Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Cecilia Brainard Papers Arrived Ateneo de Manila University

Via ATENEO DE MANILA UNIVERSITY LITERARY AND CULTURAL STUDIES PROGRAM - Dec. 3, 2025 

The Balikbayan box containing the papers of Cecilia Manguerra Brainard has arrived all the way from California in pristine condition despite the natural calamities and political disturbances in the last three months. One of the most translated authors in our tradition, Brainard is a key Filipino American fictionist. Generously supported by the Kwan Laurel Fund for the Humanities, the Ateneo Archive of Philippine Literature in English is deeply honored to serve as the repository of Brainard’s papers consisting of invaluable photographs, journals, notes, and letters. 

 

Maraming salamat po, Ginang Brainard!

 

Charlie Samuya Veric, Director of the Ateneo Archive of Philippine Literature in English







 Tags: #booksphilippines  #writersphilippines #philippineliterature #filipinoliterature #filipinowriters

Monday, November 24, 2025

My Friends, the Crows by Cecilia Brainard

 



My Friends, the Crows

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard


Years ago, we didn't have crows in our neighborhood. We had song birds, smaller-sized birds. I'm not sure when crows came around but suddenly they were on the sidewalks, on top of trees and electric lines. They came around to eat the bird food I left in our garden and they drank and bathed in the bird bath that I kept clean and filled. At some point a bird flu epidemic killed many crows but they came back.

One Spring morning I found a blue plastic ball right outside my kitchen door. It was the size of a Ping-Pong ball, with faceted sides. I’d never seen anything like it and I suspected it was left there for me, I saved it. I did some research and learned about the girl in Seattle who fed the crows in her garden and received gifts from them. When a crushed Styrofoam cup with a dead cockroach in it appeared in the same spot the ball had been, I felt certain a crow was giving me gifts. The appearance of another Styrofoam cup with gooey stuff in it sealed my conviction that a crow or crows had been leaving me these items.

Saturday, November 22, 2025

Fracas Over Frankfurt Book Fair - Positively Filipino, Cecilia Brainard

 

From Positively Filipino: Last month, about 400 Filipino writers and publishers gathered in Frankfurt for the 76th annual Frankfurter Buchmesse, reputedly the world's largest book fair. As the 2025 Guest of Honor, Philippine books were front and center of the trade exhibition that allowed international literary agents, translators, and book distributors to negotiate deals. Was the Philippine participation (reportedly at a cost of hundreds of thousands of euros) worth it? Author/publisher Cecilia Brainard who was there gives us a participant's report.

***

Was the Philippines Star Turn at the Frankfurt Book Fair Worth the Fuss?

By Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

https://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/was-the-philippines-star-turn-at-frankfurt-book-fair-worth-the-fuss

Last month, about 400 Filipino writers and publishers gathered in Frankfurt for the 76th annual Frankfurter Buchmesse, reputedly the world's largest book fair. As the 2025 Guest of Honor, Philippine books were front and center of the trade exhibition that allowed international literary agents, translators, and book distributors to negotiate deals. Was the Philippine participation (reportedly at a cost of hundreds of thousands of euros) worth it? Author/publisher Cecilia Brainard who was there gives us a participant's report... Continue reading in Positively Filipino.

#phlgoh25

#imaginationpeoplestheair

#frankfurtbookfair2025

#philippinesaaguestofhonor

  #nbdb

 #FBM2025 #fbm25

 #PHLGoh

 #GoH2025

 #philippinesfrankfurt2025

Read also:

Plantation Bay, A Weekend Retreat 

Top Translated Filipino Authors - Includes Cecilia Brainard 

Cross-cultural Exchange Via Cecilia Brainard's Translations 

Press Release about foreign Translations of Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's Fiction 

Publishers of Cecilia Brainard's Foreign Translations 

Filip Batkoski (Bata Press) 

Leonardo Garzaro (Editor Rua do Sabao) 

Senja Pozar - Literary Agent

Dimitris Tsoukatos (Lemvos Editions) 

Mohamed Radi (Egyptian Office for Publishing and Distribution

Dejan Trajkoski (Prozart Media)

 Nenad Saponja (Agora)

Jale Memmedova (Qanun Publishing House)

Dr. Takuya Matsuda (Genki Shobou)



At the Fair with Cecilia Manguerra Brainard and Mai Khaled by Catia Castilho Simon

 


At the Fair with Cecilia Manguerra Brainard and Mai Khaled

By CÁTIA CASTILHO SIMON*

Published in REDE ESTACAO DEMICRACIA, Nov 7, 2025 -  https://red.org.br/noticias/na-feira-com-cecilia-manguerra-brainard-e-mai-khaled/


Well, the 71st Porto Alegre Book Fair has come to an end, and beyond the excitement of the individual and group autograph sessions, the highlight for me in this edition was the meeting on November 5th with the writers Cecília Manguerra Brainard, from the Philippines, and Mai Khaled from Egypt, who brought their books for our conversation. At the end of the afternoon, both signed their works translated into Portuguese by Isabela Figueira, through the São Paulo-based publisher, Rua do Sabão.

Friday, November 21, 2025

Cecilia Brainard's Foreign Publishers Who are Writers - Leonardo Garzaro, Nenad Šaponja, Dejan Trajkoski

 

I am featuring my foreign publishers of translations of my works who are also writers.


Leonardo Garzaro runs Editor Rua do Sabao and other publishing houses in Brazil, and he has translated into Portuguese my novel, WHEN THE RAINBOW GODDESS WEPT, and my SELECTED SHORT STORIES. He is currently negotiating with my agent the translation of more of my titles.

Leonardo Garzaro is is an author and journalist. Born in São Paulo in 1983, he has founded various publishing houses and edited dozens of books. His debut, children’s book THE LION'S SMILE,THE GUARDIAN OF NAMES, THE HOUSE WITHOUT WINDOWS, among others, has been translated into several languages, including Arabic, English, Spanish, Turkish, and more.  He has a number of stories published in publications such as Literal Latin Voices.

His short story, The Fanatic's Story, can be read in Latin American Literature Today. 

https://latinamericanliteraturetoday.org/2023/12/the-fanatics-story/





Nenad Šaponja
is a poet, essayist, psychiatrist, critic, editor and founder of the publishing house Agora (which published by novel THE NEWSPAPER WIDOW).

Nenad has published the following poetry collections: Giokonda, Mirror in Two Souls, Obviousness, The Sea, Four Poems, Sweet Death, Is There a Touch of Your Soul, I seem, therefore I am Not, I descend into the Silence the Weight of a Thrown Dice and The Psychology of Gravity. His books of essays and literary criticism encompass: Baedeker Doubts, The Autobiography of Reading and The Experience of Writing. His travelogue is And Brussels is Easy To Get Around is widely read.

He has also published anthologies: The Anthology of Contemporary Stories from Novi Sad, The Most Wonderful Short Stories by Pavle Ugrinov, The Anthology of Stories from Novi Sad, The Prosveta’s Book of Crime Stories, The Glass Grass by Tanja Kragujević, The New Story of Novi Sad, The New Story of Novi Sad: a prose panorama and others. 

Šaponja is the recipient of the following awards: the “Branko” award for the best book of poetry; the “Prosveta” award for his book of essays Baedeker Doubts; the “Milan Bogdanović” award for the best literary criticism; the “Miroslav Antić” award for the book of poetry; the “Moma Dimić” award for his travelogue And Brussels Is Easy To Get Around; the “Kočić’s Feather” award for his poetry book The Psychology of Gravity ; the “Teodor Pavlić” award also for the book The Psychology of Gravity; the “November Charter of Novi Sad”, the “Stevan Pešić” award once again for his book of poems The Psychology of Gravity and the “Laza Kostić” award for the aforementioned book (The Psychology of Gravity).

His work has been widely translated.

Read more about Nenad: https://en.vijesti.me/fun/202548/Nenad-Saponja%2C-the-greatest-achievement-in-life-is-when-we-come-to-poetry 

https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/28/article/952224/pdf




Dejan Trajkoski is a writer, poet, editor, translator, festival selector, and he also runs the publishing house, Prozart Media, which translated my novels: MAGDALENA and THE NEWSPAPER WIDOW

 

Born 1977 in town of Prilep, he has a degree in Philosophy. Dejan is author of the novels “Truth. Love ( Rashomon) “ (2012) and “Infidelity” (2014), which are widely translated. He is a member of the International Federation of Film Critics FIPRESCI, also a member of the Writers Association of Macedonia. 
 
Dejan's publishing house Prozart media is organizer of the International Literature Festival PRO-ZA Balkan and of the first publishing Felllowship program in Eastern Europe, the Skopje Fellowship Program, established in 2014. Using this platform, we have hosted dozens of foreign writers and publishers in Skopje. We are award-winning publishing house that publishes a wide range of titles in segments such as fiction, YA and children literature.

         Read more: 

https://dalkeyarchive.store/products/infidelity


          My foreign publishers as featured at the 2025 Frankfurt Book Fair; and the translations of my work celebrated at the Frankfurt Book Fair. 


 


#GoH2025 
#FrankfurtBookFair2025 #ImaginationPeoplestheAir 
#fbm25 

Thursday, November 13, 2025

Filipiniana Dresses to Show Filipino Pride

 

Filipiniana dress 


I like to wear Filipina dresses when I'm at book events, and people seem to appreciate them. Here are pictures taken at the Porto Alegre Book Fair and at the Frankfurt Book Fair.

Many people ask about the dress;  material, embroidery, history. I enjoy talking about our classic Filipina dresses because the delicate and time-consuming craftsmanship of Pina or callado are impressive.







#filipinianadress 

#FilipinianaAttire

#FilipinoPride

#filipinadress

#imaginationpeoplestheair

#phlgoh2025

#fbm2025

#frankfurterbuchmesse

#philippinesasguestofhonor

Read also:

Plantation Bay, A Weekend Retreat 

Top Translated Filipino Authors - Includes Cecilia Brainard 

Cross-cultural Exchange Via Cecilia Brainard's Translations 

Press Release about foreign Translations of Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's Fiction 

Publishers of Cecilia Brainard's Foreign Translations 

Filip Batkoski (Bata Press) 

Leonardo Garzaro (Editor Rua do Sabao) 

Senja Pozar - Literary Agent

Dimitris Tsoukatos (Lemvos Editions) 

Mohamed Radi (Egyptian Office for Publishing and Distribution

Dejan Trajkoski (Prozart Media)

 Nenad Saponja (Agora)

Jale Memmedova (Qanun Publishing House)

Dr. Takuya Matsuda (Genki Shobou)




Wednesday, November 12, 2025

Porto Alegre Book Fair - Podcast (Video) Interview of Cecilia Brainard and Mai Khaled




Porto Alegre Book Fair -- Brazil 
Feiradolivro - Podcast, video with Filipino author Cecilia Brainard & Egyptian author Mai Khaled 

At Porto Alegre Book Fair, there was a lively interview discussion that looked at the backgrounds and literatures of Egyptian Novelist, Mai Khaled, and me, as a Filipino author.  Here is the You Tube link. 











#portoalegrebookfair
#feiradolivro 
#PhlGoH2025 
#ImaginationPeoplestheAir 
#FBM2025 

Brazil 2025 - Faces to Remember

 

Leonardo Garzaro, Isabela Figueira, their son, Mai Khaled, Cecilia Brainard, Garzaro children

In Sao Paulo, Brazil, I had the pleasure of seeing my Brazilian publisher Leonardo Garzaro, again. I had met him in Frankfurt. I had the added pleasure of meeting his wife, Isabela Figueira, who translated into Portuguese my books: When the Rainbow Goddess Wept and my Selected Short Stories. I also met their lovely children who reminded me of my grandchildren with their curiosity and energy. 

In fact, I met many lovely people in Brazil.

The Egyptian novelist, Mai Khaled, and I were together in Porto Alegre and Sao Paulo, and we shared many adventures together!

In Porto Alegre, Morgana Baldiserra was our "Angel" - literally the name of her job because she took care of us, picked us up at the airport, escorted us everywhere to make sure we were safe, on time, etc. Further she also acted as translator for our podcast interview.  Her memory in remembering what was said was impressive.

At the Porto Alegre Book Fair, everyone was so kind and friendly at every turn, the women interviewers for the podcast and program (Sabrina Thamazi and Catia Simon respectively) highly intelligent and well-prepared. The photographers made sure they took nice photos of us.  Production people, everyone great. I appreciated very much the care and respect extended to us. 

Here are some photos, and I'll add to these, so check back.  


Isabela Figueira, Cecilia Brainard

Leonardo Garzaro, Isabela Figueria









Podcast Crew

 
L-r; Morgana Baldissera, Cecilia Brainard, Sabrina Thomazi, Mai Khaled 



l-r: Mai Khaled, Catia Simon, Cecilia Brainard



clockwise from left: Wilson Loria, Leonardo Garzaro, Cecilia Brainard, Mai Khaled

Cecilia Brainard books translated into Portuguese by Leonardo Garzaro (Editora Rua do Sabao) and translated by Isabela Figueira





Tags: Feira do Livro Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre Book Fair, Brazil Book Fair, #booksphilippines