Four Filipina authors published by Penguin Random House SEA held a panel discussion in Fully Booked on a cloudy Saturday afternoon. Booklover Kate Heceta-Arellano moderated the hour-long discussion, asking questions of the four distinguished guests before the second hour of book signing and picture-taking.

This reader arrived early, with two books in tow, eagerly awaiting the opportunity to purchase one more: CNN and Al Jazeera journalist Marga Ortigas’ nonfiction book, “There are No Falling Stars in China.” It had sold out a week before, thankfully copies were available on the day itself!

Over the course of the fascinating talk, however, I found myself compelled to purchase poet Mookie Katigbak-Lacuesta’s first book that isn’t poetry. While most may classify it as historical fiction (based on the life of her great grandmother), the author rejects genre as constructs made for the convenience of readers browsing bookshelves, and she calls it “biofiction.”

I would have welcomed the opportunity to purchase Migs Bravo Dutt’s book as well, but it sold out very fast!

Mica De Leon’s romance, Love on the Second Read, was the subject of a review in a previous post.

What did the four Filipinas share, apart from names that all began with M and being under the same publisher?

Although they come from diverse fields such as journalism, poetry and the academe, and editing local publications, they spoke about the one thing that they (and most Filipinos) share: being surrounded by strong women, growing up with the need to tell stories, thinking and writing in English, and the importance of romance in our lives.

As Marga Ortigas put it, “All books are relational.” While some books focus overtly on the romantic relationships of its characters, others may be love stories to the Motherland. I admired how Mica De Leon put it: “Romance is the only genre that traces the place of women in society as generations go by.”

Seen in this light, romance isn’t a “girly girl” thing. It’s a genre that embodies female empowerment.

It was fascinating to listen to the four authors’ process in portraying characters, typing up a book (others wrote the equivalent of three books, thinking it would only make for one volume… while others pitched their books without a finished manuscript yet), but above all, it was a rare pleasure to listen to intelligent conversation amongst women comfortable in their shared brilliance, not feeling the need to hide their light.

We are grateful for opportunities like this, where readers can meet authors, and likeminded literary enthusiasts.

See you in the next panel discussion at Fully Booked BGC!

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~Written by Gabriela Francisco

(Gabi Francisco (@teacher.gabi.reads)

[The reviewer bought 2 books on the day of the panel discussion from Fully Booked. Marga Ortigas’ THERE ARE NO FALLING STARS IN CHINA AND OTHER LIFE LESSONS FROM A RECOVERING JOURNALIST sold for P995.00, and Mookie Katigbak-Lacuesta’s ASSEMBLING ALICE was available for P1,199.00]