For three days only – from Friday, July 12 to Sunday, July 14, 2024, Massy Arts Society, Sampaguita Press and PilipinxPages host the inaugural Filipino-Canadian Book Festival. A vibrant showcase of Filipino literature, this festival features a keynote from a special guest; book signings and panel talks; open mic readings showcasing both emerging and established literary talent; plus a youth event. Events will be taking place at Massy Arts Society and Collingwood Neighbourhood House in Vancouver, BC.
”Our mission is to celebrate Filipino and Canadian heritage and the unique culture that we are living and creating every day in our diaspora. We hope to honour our ancestral roots and artistic lineages, as well as build and grow revolutionary literary and artistic safe spaces for our kapwa*.”
– Filipino-Canadian Book Festival
Participating authors include keynote guest speaker Catherine Hernandez, whose acclaimed first novel Scarborough was adapted (by her) into an award-winning screenplay and who is now in the process of adapting her latest novel, Behind You, for the screen. Participants also include theatre maker and co-founder of the New(to)Town Collective Davey Calderon; writer, digital designer and PilipinxPages founder Nathalie De Los Santos; and Kawika Guillermo, whose work combines literature and video games.
*”Kapwa” is a Tagalog word describing kin, neighbours, fellow humans.
About Massy Arts Society
Located in Vancouver, Massy Arts Society (MAS) is the multidisciplinary arts extension of Massy Books. A community hub hosting book launches, workshops, readings, exhibitions and more, it is an Indigenous-led non-profit with a mandate to support the practices of Indigenous and underrepresented authors and other creatives. MAS prides itself on being a champion for diversity, and is guided by principles of community engagement and social justice, working to uplift Indigenous and underrepresented creatives, improve access to Canadian books, and support authors and publishers in underserved communities.
About Sampaguita Press
Established in 2021, Sampaguita Press is a non-profit, independent micropress publishing house based in San Jose, California. Committed to serving under-represented voices and communities who may not have access to traditional publishing spaces, they publish works by and for Black, Indigenous, and POC artists of all genders and LGBTQIA+ identities.
About PilipinxPages
Founded by Vancouver-based author Nathalie De Los Santos, PilipinxPages is a bookstagram featuring Filipinx authors.
(Photo credits: Catherine Hernandez. Photo by Noor Khan. Massy Arts Society / Sampaguita Press / Pilipinix Pages. Behind You published by Harper Avenue, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers Ltd.)
Event details
Hosted by: Massy Arts Society, Sampaguita Press & PilipinxPages
Type of event: book festival
Keynote speaker: Catherine Hernandez
Authors: See the participating authors here.
Festival book list: Check out the book list here.
Dates & times: The Festival runs from Friday, July 12 – Sunday, July 14, 2024. Please refer to the schedule for individual event dates and times.
- Friday, July 12: 4:00 – 8:00 PM PT
- Saturday, July 13: 9:00 AM – 7:30 PM PT
- Sunday, July 14: 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM PT
Cost: Some events are free. Panels: C$11.98 (+ $1.98 fee). Catherine Hernandez keynote: C$22.63 (+ $2.63 fee)
Locations: Please refer to the program schedule above for individual event locations.
- Massy Arts Society, 23 E Pender St., Vancouver, BC, V6A 1S9
- Collingwood Neighborhood House, 5288 Joyce St., Vancouver, BC, V5R 6C9
Booking link: Book your tickets here.
Contact Details: Filipino-Canadian Book Festival, filcanbookfest@gmail.com, filcanbookfest.squarespace.com
Content warning: Please refer to the individual events.
Accessibility: For Massy Arts Society, please contact them at info@massyarts.com or 604-428-6429. For Collingwood Neighbourhood House, please contact them at info@cnh.bc.ca or 604-435-0323.
Refund policy: Please contact the organizer. Eventbrite fees are non-refundable.