TRAVELS (and more) WITH CECILIA BRAINARD

Thursday, September 18, 2025

Mohamed Radi (Egyptian Office for Publishing & Distribution) - Publisher Cecilia Brainard's Foreign Translations

Mohamed Radi

On October 17, 2025, at 1 pm, at the Frankfurt Book Fair, seven international publishers and I will gather at the Pilipinas Stage, Philippine Stand Hall 5.1 A95 & B95 to celebrate the translations they have done of my fiction.

To honor these publishers who are working hard to finish their translations for FBM25, I'm going to highlight each one of them in my blog. I'll be posting the covers of the book, in the various editions. If the featured publisher's cover isn't done yet, check back in.

Meet Mohamed Radi!

Cairo-based Mohamed Radi translated Brainard’s three novels -- When the Rainbow Goddess Wept, Magdalena, and The Newspaper Widow -- into Arabic under the imprint of the Egyptian Office for Publishing and Distribution of Publications. Radi is the Director and Founder of the independent publishing house that has produced more than 1,000 titles by leading Arab authors and writers. It has translated more than 200 titles from various languages.

Mohamed is vice-president of the African Publishers Network. He has worked in public service as an elected board member, held several positions as Chairman of the Media Committee of the Egyptian publishers and Secretary-General of the Egyptian Publishers Association.

When the Rainbow Goddess Wept

A beautifully written novel in which the words flow smoothly across the pages, weaving a story that is half lyrical myth and half brutal reality. Enchanting throughout, this novel will mesmerize the reader right up until its victorious ending. ~ Booklist

Magdalena

"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 author Cecilia Manguerra Brainard as a gifted author with a mastery of storytelling that will keep the reader’s total attention and engagement from first page to last!~ Midwest Book Review

The Newspaper Widow

Finalist for the Philippines 37th National Book Award

Shortlisted for the Inaugural Cirilo F. Bautista Prize for the Novel

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard’s novel is full and complex, overflowing with textured, fully realized characters who drive the story on every page. ~Foreword Reviews

Cover of The Newspaper Widow by Bata Press

Cover of The Newspaper Widow by Super zolazba

"Journalist", Serbian

Cecilia Brainard Fiction: The One-Night Stand a t the Frankfurt Book Fair

Cecilia Brainard Fiction: After the Ascension

Tags: #nbdb #FBM2025 #fbm25 #PHLGoh #GoH2025 #philippinesfrankfurt2025 #imaginationpeoplestheair #Arabictranslation #Arabicpublisher #Egyptianpublisher #bookArabic

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's official website is ceciliabrainarddotcom. She is the award-winning author and editor of 22 books, including When the Rainbow Goddess Wept, The Newspaper Widow, Magdalena, Selected Stories, Vigan and Other Stories, and more. She edited Growing Up Filipino 1, 2, & 3, Fiction by Filipinos in America, Contemporary Fiction by Filipinos in America, and other books.. Her work has been translated into Finnish and Turkish; and many of her stories and articles have been widely anthologized. Cecilia has received many awards, including 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, and the Outstanding Individual Award from her birth city, Cebu, Philippines. She has lectured and performed at UCLA, USC, University of Connecticut, University of the Philippines, PEN, Shakespeare & Company in Paris, and many others. She has served in the Board of literary arts groups such as PEN, PAWWA (Pacific Asian American Writers West), among others.

Dimitris Tsoukatos (Lemvos Editions) - Publisher Cecilia Brainard's Foreign Translations

Dimitris Tsoukatos

Unfortunately Dimitris Tsoukatos head of Lemvos Editions can't be at the Oct 17 Celebration of Cecilia Brainard's translations.

He has this message to share:

***

October 17, 2025

Good morning, friends, colleagues, and distinguished guests.

It is a great honor to stand before you today to celebrate the works of Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, and in particular to speak about Magdalena, which Lemvos Editions has the privilege to be translating into Greek.

Cecilia is one of the most significant voices in Philippine literature. Across her more than twenty books, including When the Rainbow Goddess Wept, The Newspaper Widow, and Magdalena, she explores how personal and collective histories intertwine. Her writing carries the tenderness of memory, the resilience of women, and the weight of a nation’s past.

When I first read Magdalena, I was immediately drawn into its world — a world shaped by love, loss, and the lingering effects of war. Cecilia’s storytelling is both intimate and expansive; through the lives of her characters, she speaks of the human condition in a way that feels deeply familiar, even to us in Greece. The emotions, the struggles, and the quiet courage of her women could easily belong to our own mothers and grandmothers.

I remember thinking, as I turned the last page, that Magdalena was not just a Philippine story — it was a universal one, filled with emotions and experiences that could easily belong to readers in Greece. The themes of love, loss, resilience, and the quiet strength of women resonated deeply with me. As I read, I could already imagine how Greek readers would connect with Cecilia’s prose — how vividly they would see the world she created, and how closely it would speak to their own experiences of history, love, and sacrifice. It was clear to me that this is a story that deserves to be shared in Greek.

Cecilia’s work also reflects the richness of a multilingual and multicultural reality — moving effortlessly among English, Spanish, and Cebuano, while evoking the broader connections between Asia, Europe, and America. Translating Magdalena into Greek means not only transferring words from one language to another, but also preserving that rich tapestry of voices and cultures that make her writing so distinctive.

At Lemvos Editions, we believe that translation is one of the most powerful forms of cultural dialogue. Through Magdalena, Greek readers will discover a new perspective on history and humanity — one that deepens our appreciation for the universality of human experience. In this way, translation does not only expand readership; it expands understanding.

On behalf of Lemvos Editions, I want to express my deep gratitude to Cecilia Manguerra Brainard for entrusting us with her novel, and to thank the translators, editors, and colleagues who are bringing this project to life. I also extend my appreciation to our fellow publishers and literary friends here today, who, through their work, remind us that literature knows no borders.

Let us continue to celebrate voices like Cecilia’s — voices that remind us of the enduring power of stories to connect people, cultures, and hearts across the world.

Thank you.

DIMITRIOS TSOUKATOS

Στάλθηκε από

***

BIO: Dimitris Tsoukatos!

From Athens, Dimitris Tsoukatos, heads Lemvos Editions which published Cecilia’s novel Magdalena. With a strong background in finance, Dimitris has led the publishing house since 2015 to publish quality works from young Greek writers and it also translates important works of world literature.

Magdalena

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 author Cecilia Manguerra Brainard as a gifted author with a mastery of storytelling that will keep the reader’s total attention and engagement from first page to last!~ Midwest Book Review

Cecilia Brainard Fiction: The One-Night Stand a t the Frankfurt Book Fair

Cecilia Brainard Fiction: After the Ascension

Celebrating Translations of Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's Fiction

Tags: #nbdb #FBM2025 #fbm25 #PHLGoh #GoH2025 #philippinesfrankfurt2025 #imaginationpeoplestheair #Greekpublisher #Greektranslation , Greek publisher

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

Senja Požar - Publisher Cecilia Brainard's Foreign Translations

Senja Pozar

On October 17, 2025, at 1 pm, at the Frankfurt Book Fair, seven international publishers and I will gather at the Pilipinas Stage, Philippine Stand Hall 5.1 A95 & B95 to celebrate the translations they have done of my fiction.

To honor these publishers who are working hard to finish their translations for FBM25, I'm going to highlight each one of them in my blog. I'll be posting the covers of the book, in the various editions. If the featured publisher's cover isn't done yet, check back in.

Meet Senja Požar who is also my literary agent!

Senja Pozar translated into Slovenian for Super založba, The Newspaper Widow.

Founder of Ljubljana Book Academy, Senja Požar has nearly 30 years publishing experience, holding roles as editor, editorial director, and editor-in-chief for fiction, non-fiction, textbooks, reference works, education books, and magazines. Since 2016 she advanced international cooperation for Mladinska knjiga and Cankarjeva založba, working on Frankfurt 2023 and Bologna 2024 GOH. She later launched the Academy, became editor-in-chief, represents IRCAI under UNESCO, and since 2020 has been part of Publishers Without Borders.

The Newspaper Widow

Finalist for the 37th Philippine National Book Award

Shortlisted for the Inaugural Cirilo F. Bautista Prize for the Novel

Cecilia Brainard Fiction: The One-Night Stand a t the Frankfurt Book Fair

Cecilia Brainard Fiction: After the Ascension

#nbdb #FBM2025 #fbm25 #PHLGoh #GoH2025 #philippinesfrankfurt2025 #imaginationpeoplestheair , Slovenian publisher , Slovenian translation #bookslovenian

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

Leonardo Garzaro (Editor Rua du Sabao) - Publisher of Cecilia Brainard's Foreign Translation

Leonardo Garzaro

On October 17, 2025, at 1 pm, at the Frankfurt Book Fair, seven international publishers and I will gather at the Pilipinas Stage, Philippine Stand Hall 5.1 A95 & B95 to celebrate the translations they have done of my fiction.

To honor these publishers who are working hard to finish their translations for FBM25, I'm going to highlight each one of them in my blog. I'll be posting the covers of the book, in the various editions. If the featured publisher's cover isn't done yet, check back in.

Meet Leonardo Garzaro who is translating into Portuguese my Selected Short Stories and my World War II novel, When the Rainbow Goddess Wept.

Leonardo Garzaro and his wife Isabela Figueira who translated both books into Portuguese

***

Leonardo Garzaro, who hails from Sao Paulo, Brazil, published Brainard’s Selected Short Stories and her novel When the Rainbow Goddess Wept, under the imprint of his publishing house Editor Rua du Sabao.

Leonardo Garzoro, who is a writer himself, has published dozens of books, including his recent novel, The Guardian of Names, which was published in four countries and was nominated for the Jabut Award for Literature. He currently writes for two of Brazil’s largest newspapers, PublishNews and the Valor Economico. He is also a Brazilian literature consultant for the publishers in Argentina, Mexico; Ecuador, and the Turkish agency Introtema.

Selected Short Stories by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

Winner 40th Philippine National Book Award and Cirilo Bautista Prize

Finalist Gintong Aklat Award

When the Rainbow Goddess Wept by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

Cecilia Brainard Fiction: The One-Night Stand a t the Frankfurt Book Fair

Cecilia Brainard Fiction: After the Ascension

Celebrating Translations of Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's Fiction

#nbdb #FBM2025 #fbm25 #PHLGoh #GoH2025 #philippinesfrankfurt2025 #imaginationpeoplestheair , Brazilian publisher

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

Wednesday, September 17, 2025

Filip Batkoski (Bata Press) -- Publisher Cecilia Brainard's Foreign Translations

Filip Batkoski

On October 17, 2025, at 1 pm at the Frankfurt Book Fair, seven international publishers and I will gather at the Pilipinas Stage, Philippine Stand Hall 5.1 A95 & B95 to celebrate the translations they have done of my fiction.

To honor these publishers who are working hard to finish their translations for FBM25, I'm going to highlight each one of them in my blog. I'll be posting the covers of the book, in the various editions. If the featured publisher's cover isn't done yet, check back in.

Meet Filip Batkoski!

***

From Skopje, North Macedonia, Filip Batkoski translated Cecilia Manguerra Brainard’s novels, Magdalena and The Newspaper Widow.

Batkoski has been working in the publishing industry since 2011 as the manager of Bata Press, a family-run publishing house founded by his father, Nenad Batkoski. Under his leadership, Bata Press has developed into a respected name in Macedonian publishing, known for its dedication to literature and its support of local and international authors. Committed to promoting Macedonian literature and building cross-cultural connections, Filip continues to lead Bata Press with passion and vision.

***

Magdalena - information here

The Newspaper Widow - information here

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard’s novel is full and complex, overflowing with textured, fully realized characters who drive the story on every page. ~Foreword Reviews

Cecilia Brainard Fiction: The One-Night Stand a t the Frankfurt Book Fair

Cecilia Brainard Fiction: After the Ascension

Celebrating Translations of Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's Fiction

Tags: #nbdb #FBM2025 #fbm25 #PHLGoh #GoH2025 #philippinesfrankfurt2025 #imaginationpeoplestheair #Macedonianpublisher #Macedoniantranslation , North Macedonian publisher

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

Friday, September 12, 2025

Married People by Noelle Q. de Jesus -- Love Stories Series # 9

From Cecilia Brainard: I am proud to share NOELLE Q. DE JESUS's short story, MARRIED PEOPLE. This is part of my Love Stories Series featured in my blog. All articles and photos are copyrighted by the individual authors. All rights reserved. This is featured in my blog with permission from the author.

Noelle Q. de Jesus is the author of two books of short fiction, Cursed and Other Stories (Penguin Random House SEA 2019), and Blood Collected Stories (Ethos Books 2015), which won the Next Generation Indie Book Award for 2016. Her English translation of National Artist Ricky Lee’s first novel, For B or How Love Devastates Four Out Of Every Five Of Us, was published by the Ateneo University Press in 2023. Her fiction has been published widely and she has an MFA from Bowling Green State University. “Married People” is included in the anthology, A View Of Stars: Stories Of Love editors Felix Cheong and Anitha Devi Pillai (Marshall Cavendish International, 2020)

MARRIED PEOPLE

CONNIE COULD NEVER TELL WHEN IT MIGHT ARRIVE, triggered by Sid’s words, Sid’s actions, the very reality of Sid. Rage rose from her gut and careened through her body—projectile vomit seeking an exit. Rage made her gasp. It made her shake and seethe. That word, seethe, was one she recalled reading. Only now did she understand what it meant.

That she never knew it was coming was the worst thing. On an ordinary day, while she sliced up fresh fruit for their breakfast and Sid would be there, making the coffee, because the coffee was his thing. And then he’d say something.