October 1, 2024 — This year, the inaugural Filipino book festival in Vancouver showcased Canadian-Filipino authors. Three literary enthusiasts organized the event, which spanned three days in mid-July. Their hard work paid off, resulting in a successful festival.
Maria Bolaños, an author and co-founder of Sampaguita Press, shared the same sentiment as author Nathalie de los Santos about starting a book festival in Vancouver while attending a similar festival in Long Beach, California. Dani Alcalde-Sidloski, manager of Massy Books, completed the trio by collaborating to introduce the Canadian-Filipino Book Festival in Vancouver, BC.
Nathalie de los Santos is a second-generation millennial born in Canada
Nathalie, a second-generation millennial born in Canada, sought to discover her parents’ rich cultural heritage. She stumbled upon a rare book entitled Filipino Folklore(vol 2) while delving into her father’s closet. Her father is from Manila, and her mother is from Cebu. Nathalie has embarked on a captivating journey through her podcast. In this platform, she intricately weaves enchanting tales about Filipino flowers such as Sampaguita and Ilang-ilang and tropical fruits like Lanzones and Macopa, igniting a sense of nostalgia and connection to her roots.
In the Filipino Fairy Tales, Mythology, and Folklore podcast, she discovered that some listeners were also interested in learning more about their Filipino heritage.
A legend about Mount Kanloan inspired her. These were classic hero’s journeys that bravely challenged dragons and ended victorious. She imagined the legend of Hinilawood to be like the Iliad or the Odyssey, with gods, monsters, and brothers searching for their wives. These enchanting Filipino fairy tales sparked her imagination and captivated her attention.
She grew up wanting more representation of books written by people of colour. "I never saw myself reflected in the media," she said, recognizing that isolation during the pandemic was an excellent time to reconnect with her culture.
Nathalie has achieved significant milestones in her literary journey. Her first book, Hasta Manana, a story about a twelve-year-old digital gamer, was published in 2019. A year later, she wrote a sci-fi cyberpunk tech story, Alice’s Order,featured in the Indie Authors collection at the Vancouver Public Library. This year, she was one of the featured authors in the first Canadian-Filipino anthology Magdaragat, showcasing her growing influence in the literary community.
Nathalie is passionate about immersing herself in Filipino culture’s rich mythology and folklore. She is focused on completing her fantasy novel, Diyosa Mata. As a Simon Fraser Writers Studio member, she is working towards publishing her manuscript soon.
During the day, Nathalie serves as a Digital Communications Officer, primarily focusing on marketing tasks. She excels as a digital designer and videographer.
She dedicates time to maintaining her blog on PilipinxPages, where she showcases the works of Filipino authors, advocates for diversity, and fosters conversations within the community. The blog serves as a virtual space for individuals to reestablish their connection to their Filipino heritage, particularly during the challenging times brought on by the pandemic.
Around this time, she noticed a Women’s History Museum call for journal submissions. Since she journaled frequently, Nathalie decided to submit a collection of journals she wrote during the high-anxiety period of the pandemic. It was published, allowing others to see her deep, inner, raw thoughts.
Even with Nathalie’s busy schedule, she and her literary collaborators aim to organize another book festival next year. The event attracted academics and the general public, allowing them to enjoy a bustling marketplace filled with various activities. From Stephanie Sy’s engaging workshop on children’s storytelling to Catherine Hernandez’s powerful and inspiring keynote speech, the festival brought literature and culture to life energetically and compellingly, leaving participants excited and involved.
Sandie Oreta Gillis graduated with a degree in Broadcast Communication from the University of the Philippines in 1981. She co-hosted a radio morning talk show at Radio Veritas in Manila before immigrating to Canada in 1983. Gillis collaborated with Alfredo Roces to write a biography about the legendary artist Sofronio Y. Mendoza titled SYM: The Power of Struggle. She also authored Weaving Our Dreams: The Tboli People of the Philippines.
As a freelance writer, she actively supports and promotes Philippine arts and culture, often writing about the country's rich heritage, history, and traditions. Gillis serves as a volunteer Board Director for the Dimasalang III International Artists Group and is one of the founding members of the Narragila Culture and Arts Foundation.
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