On June 29, Gantala Press will launch Librong Laso, our new series of Tagalog feminist romance novels. Librong Laso’s first offerings are three novelas by Joi Barrios and a collection of Barrios’ love poetry.
With Librong Laso, Gantala Press hopes to contribute further to the discourse and scholarship on popular literature. To make them more affordable to a wider audience, Librong Laso books are printed on newsprint paper, similar to the cheap Tagalog paperbacks that were first released in the 1980s. True to its advocacy of promoting progressive literature by and on women, Gantala hopes to publish feminist romance novels in Tagalog and other vernacular languages featuring women farmers, workers, lesbians, bisexuals, trans women, and women from marginalized sectors. (Women authors may submit manuscripts to gantalapressworks@gmail.com.)
The three novelas to be republished are Ang Diary ni Joaquina; Sintang Malapit, Sintang Malayo; and Kung Daratnan pa Kitang Naghihintay. These novels were first published in the 1990s by Anvil Publishing under its Rosas line. Diary is set in pre-war Philippines, during the agrarian unrest in the countryside which saw the formation of the socialist movement in the country. Sinta is a light take on the mail-order bride phenomenon that exploded in Asia in the 1990s. Daratnan talks about homecoming, and provides a glimpse of the theater world.
In a talk on the Tagalog romance novel held on June 19 at the Quezon City Public Library, Barrios shared that her inclination to base a romance novel on a political or social issue comes from her background in street theater. In her novels, even the supporting characters are activists — one is an organizer against the US bases; another is a suffragist. Rivals in love are never antagonistic and ultimately support each other. The love interests are also progressive, intelligent men. All the novels talk about “women’s writing,” which include diaries and letters to pen pals, but also poems and full-length plays.
Meanwhile, the love poems were selected from Barrios’ poetry collections, Ang Pagiging Babae ay Pamumuhay sa Panahon ng Digma (1989), Minatamis (1998), Bulaklak sa Tubig (2009), and Sa Aking Pagkadestiyero (2022). In the introduction, the editor writes: “Kilala si Joi bilang isang feministang makata ngunit malaking bahagi rin ng kanyang panulat ay tungkol sa pag-ibig at pakikibaka at ang salimbayan ng dalawang ito. Sa pagbubuo ng koleksiyon, apirmasyon din ito ng naging ambag ni Joi sa panulaang feminista at sa pagsusulong ng mga pambansa-demokratikong aspirasyon ng bayan.”
Currently a lecturer at the University of California-Berkeley, Barrios is a scholar of Philippine women’s literature and theater. Her groundbreaking Mula sa mga Pakpak ng Entablado: Pagyapak at Paglipad ng Kababaihang Mandudula was published by UP Press in 1998.
Hosted by the UP Institute of Creative Writing, the book launch will be held at Gimenez Gallery, UP Diliman at 4 PM. Each book costs under Php 200 and a set would be a great gift to friends, libraries, and communities. After the launch on June 29, the books will be available at Gantala Press’ Shopee page and pop-up book fairs.
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