On the weekend of October 12-13, Philippine American Writers and Artists, Inc. (PAWA) and the San Francisco Public Library hosted the 7th Filipino American International Book Festival, the largest book festival of its kind in the country. The event, occurring every two years, has consistently brought together an exciting array of writers, scholars, and creatives from across the globe including the U.S., Canada, and the Philippines. This year’s theme, “Kaisa’t Kasama” emphasized our community’s diversity and solidarity, and how we collectively work toward our overall upliftment.
The weekend opened on Friday, October 11, with a gala at the San Francisco Filipino Cultural Center, also known as Sentro. Artist and chef Claude Tayag presented some welcome remarks, followed by other speakers like PAWA President, Edwin Lozada; this year’s FilBookFest Festival Director, Karen Llagas; and San Francisco Public Library’s City Librarian, Michael Lambert. Delicious food was provided by Michelin-star Filipino restaurant Abacá, followed by cultural dance performances and jazz music.
Saturday’s keynote speaker was Ninotchka Rosca, renowned novelist and feminist activist. A leading voice in Filipino literature, Rosca’s works have garnered international acclaim for her powerful narratives on politics, identity, and resistance. Sunday opened with another powerhouse keynote speaker, Elaine Castillo, author of “America Is Not the Heart” and “How to Read Now: Essays,” who spoke about the transformative power of reading. In her keynote speech, Castillo emphasized how literature can challenge dominant narratives and the need for all of us to not only know our history, but to work towards transforming it.
This year’s FilBookFest also continued its beloved children’s programming with engaging storytelling sessions and workshops, offering families a chance to immerse themselves in the richness of Filipino culture and heritage. Two panels on Children’s Literature featured writers such as Christina Newhard, Lynnor Bontigao, Justine Villanueva and Rachelle Abalos, who spoke about writing for young readers to cultivate appreciation for many aspects of Filipino culture and to instill a sense of home and belonging. The room was packed with families excitedly engaging with the writers and asking questions about how to get more culturally relevant children’s books in their own libraries and schools.
Other panels that occurred during the weekend highlighted food with a culinary panel featuring chefs and cookbook authors who discussed cookbook writing, how to get started, where to get ideas and inspiration, and advice about publishing. Another panel featured inventive and highly acclaimed writers who discussed stories where queer, BIPOC, and other characters in the margins fight monsters and explore imaginary worlds in the “Fantasy, Mystery, Thriller: Writing Stories That Thrill” panel. To close out the BookFest, renowned authors Ninotchka Rosca, Elaine Castillo, Randy Ribay, and Albert Samaga came together to discuss the role of writing in social movements, advocacy, and transformation in the closing event, “Writing as a Catalyst for Change.”
In addition to the multitude of adult, children, and intergenerational programming that occurred, no FilBookFest would be complete without the marketplace held in the library all weekend, which provided a bustling and energetic space for festival attendees to socialize and be in community with each other, while also supporting book vendors, community organizations, and meet authors present.
The 7th Filipino American International Book Festival was a resounding success, and will continue serving as a beacon of inspiration for new and budding writers, as well as seasoned ones, for years to come. The next one will occur in October 2026, so don’t forget to mark your calendars!
Write-up by Melissa Reyes with editing support by Danilo Serranilla