Metro Manila (CNN Philippines Life, Dec. 8) —The National Book Development Board (NBDB) and the Manila Critics Circle (MCC) are proud to announce the winners of the 41st National Book Awards.
An annual prize that honors the most outstanding book titles written, designed, and published in the Philippines, the National Book Awards celebrates the enterprising creative labor involved in book publishing. A total of 35 titles emerged as winners out of 235 nominations across 34 categories consisting of seven languages: Filipino, English, Bikol, Binisaya, Hiligaynon, Tausug, and Waray.
The winning titles hail from publishing houses across the country, from Manila and Bicol to Cebu, Iloilo, and Davao. The awarding ceremony is slated to take place in February 2024.
The 41st National Book Awards coincides with the two-year preparation of the Philippines as it makes history as the second Southeast Asian country to be chosen as Guest of Honour at the world’s biggest book fair, the Frankfurter Buchmesse, in 2025.
Below is the full list of winners of the 41st National Book Awards.
LITERARY DIVISION
BEST NOVEL IN ENGLISH
“Yñiga: A Novel” – Glenn Diaz (Ateneo de Manila University Press)
BEST NOVEL IN FILIPINO
“El Arbol de la Alegria: Southern Quartet I” – RM Topacio-Aplaon (Isang Balangay Media Productions)
NATIONAL ARTIST CIRILO F. BAUTISTA PRIZE FOR BEST BOOK OF SHORT FICTION IN ENGLISH
“Song of the Mango and Other New Myths” – Vida Cruz-Borja (Ateneo de Manila University Press)
GERARDO P. CABOCHAN PRIZE FOR BEST BOOK OF SHORT FICTION IN FILIPINO
“Ang Buang ng Bayan: Mga Maikling Kuwento” – Rowena P. Festin (University of the Philippines Press)
PABLO A. TAN PRIZE FOR BEST BOOK OF NONFICTION PROSE IN ENGLISH
“Even Ducks Get Liver Cancer and other medical misadventures” – Wilfredo Liangco (Milflores Publishing)
“Rodolfo Biazon: Soldier, Solon, Statesman” – Eric Ramos (Milflores Publishing)
BEST BOOK OF NONFICTION PROSE IN FILIPINO
“Pasasaan” – Jesus Aman Calvario (Isang Balangay Media Productions)
BEST ANTHOLOGY IN ENGLISH
“Kalandrakas Part 1, 1890-1945: Stories and Storytellers of/on Regions in Mindanao, 1890-1990” and “Kalandrakas Part 2, 1946-1990: Stories and Storytellers of/on Regions in Mindanao, 1890-1990” – Ricardo M. De Ungria (Ed.) (Ateneo de Manila University Press)
BEST ANTHOLOGY IN FILIPINO
“Plus/+ at Iba Plus, Maramihan: New Philippine Nonfiction on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identities” – Rolando B. Tolentino and Chuckberry J. Pascual (Eds.) (Ateneo de Manila University Press)
BEST BOOK OF LITERARY CRITICISM/CULTURAL STUDIES
“Isang Dalumat ng Panahon” – Christian Jil R. Benitez (Ateneo de Manila University Press)
BEST BOOK ON MEDIA STUDIES
“Alternative Cinema: The Unchronicled History of Alternative Cinema in the Philippines” – Nick Deocampo (University of the Philippines Press)
PHILIPPINE LITERARY ARTS COUNCIL PRIZE FOR BEST BOOK OF POETRY IN ENGLISH
“Coming Home to the Island: Poems” – Arlene J. Yandug (Xavier University Press)
VICTORIO C. VALLEDOR PRIZE FOR BEST BOOK OF POETRY IN FILIPINO
“Sa Ika-ilang Sirkulo ng Impyerno” – Miguel Paolo Celestial (Isang Balangay Media Productions)
BEST GRAPHIC NOVEL AND COMICS IN ENGLISH
“Death be Damned” – Mike Alcazaren, Noel Pascual, and AJ Bernardo, Authors; AJ Bernardo and Josel Nicolas, Illustrators (Komiket Inc.)
BEST GRAPHIC NOVEL AND COMICS IN FILIPINO
“Josefina” – Russell L. Molina, Author; Ace C. Enriquez, Illustrator (Adarna House)
BEST TRANSLATED BOOK IN ENGLISH
“It’s A Mens World” – Ken Ishikawa, Translator; Bebang Siy, Author (Isang Balangay Media Productions)
BEST TRANSLATED BOOK IN FILIPINO
“Ilustrado” – Chuckberry J. Pascual, Translator; Miguel Syjuco, Author (University of Santo Tomas Publishing House)
BEST TRANSLATED BOOK IN HILIGAYNON
“Nada” – Alice M. Sun-Cua, Translator; Carmen Laforet, Author (Sto Niño de Cebu Publishing House)
BEST TRANSLATED BOOK IN TAUSUG
“Sarena’s Story (Suy-Suy ni Sarena): The Loss of a Kingdom (In Paglawa’ sin Hambuuk Sultaniyya)” – Benj Bangahan, Translator; Criselda Yabes, Author (Pawikan Press)
BEST BOOK ON DRAMA AND FILM
“Huni at Pakpak: Mga Dula, Mga Sanaysay” – Luna Sicat Cleto (University of the Philippines Press)
BEST NOVEL IN BINISAYA
“Arkipelago: Nobela” – Januar Yap (Advaux Publishing)
BEST BOOK OF SHORT FICTION IN BINISAYA
“Dili Pwede Mogawas ug Ubang Mga Sugilanon (Can’t Go Out and Other Stories)” – Elizabeth Joy Serrano-Quijano (Ateneo de Davao University Publication Office)
BEST ANTHOLOGY IN BINISAYA
“Sinug-Ang: A Cebuano Trio” – Erlinda Alburo, Ester Tapia, and Corazon Almerino (University of San Carlos Publishing House)
BEST BOOK OF POETRY IN BINISAYA
“Ang Nakayatak kay Nayatakan (Who Steps Upon Is Stepped Upon)” – Adonis Durado (University of the Philippines Press)
NON-LITERARY DIVISION
ALFONSO T. ONGPIN PRIZE FOR BEST BOOK ON ART
“Julio Nakpil (1867-1960) Collected Works Volume 1: Piano, Vocal, and Chamber Music” – Maria Alexandra Iñigo Chua (Ed.) (University of Santo Tomas Publishing House)
ELFREN S. CRUZ PRIZE FOR BEST BOOK IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES
“Transfiguring Mindanao: A Mindanao Reader” – Jose Jowel Canuday and Joselito Sescon (Eds.) (Ateneo de Manila University Press)
JOHN C. KAW PRIZE FOR BEST BOOK ON HISTORY
“The Chinese Mestizos of Cebu City 1750-1900” – Michael Cullinane (University of San Carlos Publishing House)
BEST BOOK ON PROFESSIONS
“Raising Quality Education in the Philippines: Selected Speeches and Writings” – Fr. Joel E. Tabora, SJ (Ateneo de Davao University Publication Office)
BEST BOOK IN JOURNALISM
“Duterte Watch: Descent into Authoritarianism Collected Commentaries” – Vergel O. Santos (University of Santo Tomas Publishing House)
BEST BOOK ON HUMOR, SPORTS, LIFESTYLE, AND BUSINESS
“The You-have-to-go-through-a-lot-of-crap to-get-to-good-ideas book” – David Guerrero (Milflores Publishing)
BEST BOOK ON FOOD
“Flavors of Iloilo” – Rafael J. Jardeleza Jr. (Iloilo City Government)
BEST BOOK IN SCIENCE
“The Role of Rainforestation in Forest Landscape Restoration and Conservation in the Island Municipality of Pilar, Camotes, Cebu” – Guiraldo C. Fernandez, Jr. and Marlito M. Bande (Aletheia Printing and Publishing House)
BEST BOOK IN SPIRITUALITY AND THEOLOGY
“The Islands of Faith: Crossroads of Mission” – Andrew Gimenez Recepcion (Ateneo de Naga University Press)
BEST BOOK IN PHILOSOPHY
“Life-times of Becoming Human” – Neferti X. M. Tadiar (Everything’ s Fine)
DESIGN
BEST BOOK DESIGN