Authors and translators from the Philippines scheduled to appear at Leipzig Book Fair include, top row from left, Daryll Delgado; Jessica Zafra; Renren Galeno; and Paolo Herras. On the lower row from left are J. Philip Ignacio; Stephanie Coo; Kristian Cordero; and Annette Hug
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
Leipzig’s Fair Runs March 27 to 30
As Publishing Perspectives readers know, the 2025 guest of honor market at Frankfurter Buchmesse (October 15 to 19) is The Philippines.
As it moves deeper into its German-market programming for the year, the Philippines’ team is planning to have seven authors, three translators, and 150 titles and translated German editions of Philippine books on hand when it makes what will be its debut appearance at Leipziger Buchmesse (March 27 to 30).
Leipzig this year, a large public-facing fair with a professional visitor program), is held in conjunction with Manga-Comic-Con and Leipzig liest reading festival, and this year features Norway as its own guest of honor market. (“Dream in Spring” is the Norwegian slogan this time).
The Philippines’ guest of honor slogan is “The Imagination Peoples the Air,” and the program plans to people the fair with authors including:
- Daryll Delgado, whose novel Remains (Überreste) has been published in Germany by Kröner in a translation by Gabriele Haefs
- Jessica Zafra, an author whose focus is on social divides in the Philippines and whose book Ein ziemlich böses Mädchen (A Pretty Bad Girl) has been translated by Niko Fröba for its German publication by :Transit.
- Renren Galeno, a 2024 Pulitzer Prize finalist whose Sa Wala fur Nichts (Sa Wala: For Nothing) has been published by Dantes Verlag in a translation by Jens R. Nielsen.
- Paolo Herras, who writes a blend of history, mythology, and contemporary storytelling, while the nonprofit Komiket, which he co-founded, works to help the development of the Philippines’ comics market. Herras’ book Strange Natives: Die vergessenen Erinnerungen einer vergesslichen alten Dame (Strange Natives: The Forgotten Memories of a Forgetful Old Lady) has been translated by Jens R. Nielsen for its German publication by Dantes Verlag.
- J. Philip Ignacio, who uses a graphic-novel format to reimagine the Philippine’s history. His Alandal 1 has been translated by Jens R. Nielsen for its Germany publication by Dantes Verlag,
- Stephanie Coo, a nonfiction author whose work as a historian and academic informs her work on European-Philippine connections.
Translators in Commentary on Their Work
Translators who will be engaged in the Philippines’ Leipzig presentations are led by Kristian Cordero, who is scheduled to present “how translation continues to be the bloodline of literature.” He’s a Bikol writer and director of the Ateneo de Naga University Press. He’s co-chair of the translation committee for the Philippines guest of honor program.
Monica Frölich
Another translator involved in the Leipzig programming is Monica Frölich, who studied German and French at the University of Bamberg, from which she has taken a PhD in contemporary German literature. She lectures at the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) at the University of the Philippines-Diliman.
And the third translator, Annette Hug, is also a writer and is from Zurich. She focused on women’s and development studies in the Philippines and won the Swiss Literature Prize in 2017 for her book Wilhelm Tell in Manila, which was published in 2016 by Verlag das Wunderhorn.
At Leipzig, the Philippines’ program will be found in Hall 4, C402, and will be presenting a full program of events.
More from Publishing Perspectives on Frankfurter Buchmesse is here, more on Guest of Honor Philippines’ program is here, more on Leipzig Book Fair is here, and more on the German book publishing industry is here.
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