COF Philippines

Co-organised with the National Book Development Board (NBDB), the COF Philippines programmes are a celebration of the rich and diverse Filipino literary culture.

The development of children's literature in the Philippines dates back to the pre-colonial era, when oral tradition teemed with lullabies, myths, epics, legends, riddles and proverbs of strange events and phenomena, mythical creatures and milieu.

When books were first printed locally in 1593, publishers never looked back. Never absent of narratives to weave, children's stories have been captured through various forms and means throughout the centuries.

From the likes of Severino Reyes' fanstatical tales of Lola Basyang, to Mars Ravelo's comics protagonists like Darna, Dyesebel, Captain Barbell and Lastikman who reflected the issues of their time, to more modern depictions of lore and social norms like Eugene Evasco's YA novel, Anina ng mga Alon and Budjette Tan's graphic novel-turned-Netflix series, Trese, the Philippines and its kidlit/YA industry and creatives offer a smorgasbord of stories that surely reflect and resonate with both local and international readers.

At AFCC, meet with Filipino children's book writers, illustrators, publishers and more in these series of talks, panel discussions and workshops.