The Philippines is still the third-largest English-speaking country in the world. But more and more, we have to qualify this statement. Does it mean a deep knowledge of English, or functional English just enough to get by? And what does this statement mean – that there is only one kind of English in the world? […]
My little room in Kajang, Malaysia, was filled recently by a deluge of emails from people asking me how could they get published. I asked where, in the Philippines or overseas? Nowadays, you could easily publish yourself online, or publish your book by print-on-demand. All you need is a finished manuscript, a platform, and your […]
In 1977, my mentor, the poet and National Artist for Literature and Theater Rolando S. Tinio, said: “It is too simple-minded to suppose that enthusiasm for Filipino as lingua franca and national language of the country involves the elimination of English usage or training for it in schools. Proficiency in English provides us with all […]
One of my biggest surprises recently was an email from Penguin Random House South East Asia. They were asking my permission to publish my book, Riverrun: A Novel. I thought it was a hoax, a joke, or a mis-sent email, But I checked the name of the Executive Editor (correct), her email address (correct). An […]
