Ricky Lee, Komiket Inc. Lead PH Delegation's Showcase at London Book Fair 2024
Leveraging its success in previous London Book Fairs—including selling rights to notable works such as Gina Apostol's The Revolution According to Raymundo Mata and the children’s book Pitong Tsinelas—the National Book Development Board (NBDB) returns to the fair to promote Filipino-authored titles for global distribution and adaptation. The LBF is happening from March 12 to 14, 2024, at the Olympia Exhibition Centre in London.Â
The Philippine delegation's participation in the 2024 LBF coincides with its preparations for the country's upcoming role as the Guest of Honour at the 2025 Frankfurter Buchmesse, further enhancing its international presence as an emerging content capital in Southeast Asia.
Highlighting this year's Philippine showcase at the LBF are seminal works like National Artist Ricky Lee's For B (Or How Love Devastates Four Out of Every Five of Us), a novel that delves into the intricate dynamics of love through the intertwined lives of four characters. Each narrative thread is a testament to Lee's prowess in storytelling, offering a profound exploration of love's capacity to both heal and harm.
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Another highlight is Rurok: A Comics & Art Anthology by Komiket Inc., which was a finalist at the 41st National Book Award for Best Anthology in Filipino. Rurok brings together an eclectic mix of genres, marrying traditional folklore with contemporary narratives and showcasing the burgeoning talent within the Filipino comics and graphic arts scene.
The selection also includes a variety of recently published contemporary fiction from various regions, queer coming-of-age novels, and new perspectives on folklore and mythology, which the country aims to introduce to a wider circle of publishers and readers in English-speaking markets and diasporic communities.
The Philippine contingent will also host various programs, including a talk titled "A Habit of Shores: Translating Across Seas from the Philippines to the UK," scheduled for March 13 (Wednesday) at the International Markets Theatre. This presentation will be led by the 2022 TOYM awardee and translation rights specialist, Kristian Cordero, alongside Kevin Ansel Dy, the NBDB's head of policy and research.
Meanwhile, on March 15 (Friday), the agency will stage the launch of Dr. Jaya Jacobo's Arasahas: Mga Tula and Gene Alcantara's Mga Awit sa Huling Pagkikita, along with a Rizal literary tour at the Primrose Hill Community Library.
Since it was founded in 1971, the LBF has been a key global marketplace for publishers looking to sell and distribute content across various media. Last year saw 1,026 exhibitors and an estimated 20,000 visitors attend the event for trade and networking opportunities.
