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Pinoy Abroad

Filipino novel 'Ilustrado' launched in Spain


After making waves in the Philippines, the award-winning novel "Ilustrado" was launched in Spain after it was translated into Spanish. The Casa Asia in Barcelona hosted the book launching of the novel's Spanish version, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Sunday. The DFA said the launch of the Spanish version of the book written by Montreal-based Filipino writer Miguel Syjuco was held on November 23. "Prior to the book launching, the October 27 edition of leading LA VANGUARDIA newspaper in Barcelona published an article on the Spanish-language release of the book, entitled 'Good Boy who Set Fire to the Philippines' ('El niño bien que incendió Filipinas'), and referred to how the book was sparking excitement and debate within Filipino society," the DFA said on its website Sunday. During the book launching, the author was interviewed by Spanish journalist Antonio Lozano and El Salvadoran novelist Horacio Castellanos Moya. "Both hailed Mr. Syjuco as an exciting new figure in contemporary fiction, and questioned him on his themes, inspiration, and writing style in English, and if the work was in fact an autobiographic novel," the DFA said. Syjuco emphasized that even though the main character's name is Miguel Syjuco, the book is not an autobiography. He said he merely sought to present a picture of modern Philippines from the view of someone living outside the country. According to him, he wanted to present how the Philippine elite was largely responsible for the country's problems. Syjuco added that while he did not intend for the book to "inflame" the Philippines, he welcomed the interest and internal debate generated in his native land. He also said he wants to be a contemporary writer, and avoided the onomatopoeic prose and exotic images which many Asian and Filipino writers often use. As stated in the dedicatory appearing in the Spanish-language version of the book ("Para mi familia en España"), the author also mentioned that he was dedicating the book to members of his family based in Spain. His family had joined the audience of Spaniards, Filipinos and persons of other nationalities present at the book launching. Philippine Consul General Eduardo de Vega praised Syjuco for the boldness of his vision, and thanked the Spanish-reading public for their interest in this new Filipino novel. De Vega said the release of a Spanish-language translation of the novel, one of the few contemporary novels by an Asian which have been translated to Spanish, should increase even further interest in the Philippines. – VVP, GMANews.TV