Philippine Book Festival 2024 Guide: Events, Tickets, + More

(SPOT.ph) Bibliophiles, bookworms, and reading enthusiasts, ready your wallets because the 2nd Philippine Book Festival is slated to happen this April at the World Trade Center in Pasay.  Your next great read might just be around the corner so save up and get ready for four days of unbelievable deals, activities, and reads from some of the biggest names in Philippine publishing.  Best part? Entrance is free.

Table of Contents:

• What is the Philippine Book Festival
• Navigating the Philippine Book Festival
  
  • Pocket Events, Workshops, and Activities
  • Exhibitors at the Philippine Book Festival
• How to Get Tickets to the Philippine Book Festival

What is the Philippine Book Festival:

The Philippine Book Festival is the largest traveling book festival in the country, showcasing books by Filipino authors and publishers. This four-day book extravaganza will be held from April 25 to 28 at the World Trade Center in Pasay from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and will feature books of all kinds for all ages and all interests. 

Not to be confused with the Manila International Book Fair, which usually happens in September, the Philippine Book Festival is a yearly event spearheaded by the National Book Development Board (NBDB). It is a collaborative effort between the NBDB and its partner organizations, such as Komiket, the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY), the Book Development Association of the Philippines (BDAP), the Philippine Educational Publishers Association (PEPA), and many more.

"The country needs more reading spaces that encourage conversation, creation, and collaboration. Ang Philippine Book Festival ang nagsisilbing panghihikayat ng NBDB sa iba pang organisasyon na lumahok at makiisa sa mga programang nagtutulak sa mga Filipino na magbasa dahil and aklat ay para sa lahat," says NBDB Executive Director Charisse Aquino-Tugade. To add to the sentiment, Atty. Andrea Pasion-Flores of the Book Development Association of the Philippines stresses the importance of events like this in creating a reading public, increasing awareness of books that talk about our culture and our identity, and making the Philippine canon more accessible to readers of all ages and backgrounds.

Navigating the Philippine Book Festival 2024

Much like last year, the Philippine Book Festival features four major zones: namely Kid Lit, a space for children and books geared towards a younger audience; Komiks, a space dedicated to everything in the Filipino comic-book and komiks space; Booktopia, the area designated for fiction and non-fiction books, and Aral Aklat, the place to find essential educational reading materials and textbooks. 

Aside from the four major areas, there will also be areas for pocket activities, namely the Creator Lab, Main Stage, and Kids-at-Play, which will feature activities and workshops more specific to certain readers and genres. There will also be special exhibits like the Rare Book Collection of the National Library of the Philippines, which will feature a new selection of manuscripts and facsimiles; the Book Bar, a mini-library filled with award-winning books; and Guhit Pambata, an exhibit highlighting the some of the best works in children's book illustration. 

If you ever get tired, hungry, or thirsty, a rest area called Tabuan Food Hall will also be available on-site.

Pocket Events, Workshops, and Activities at the Philippine Book Festival 2024

The Philippine Book Festival is touted as "not just a book fair, it's a book experience." This means you can expect a lot of pocket activities and things to do aside from shopping for your next great read. Aside from the stalls selling books for all ages,  this year's festival also boasts a diverse range of talks and workshops.

Some of the highlights from this year's Philippine Book Festival include:

• A Day with Gwy Saludes: an exclusive book signing and meet-and-greet session with the author
• Ambeth Without the Overcoat: a book signing session with Filipino historian and author Ambeth Ocampo
• Trip to Quiapo: a presentation by National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts, Ricky Lee
• Dahling Nick: A Tribute to National Artist Nick Joaquin
• Aklat Para sa Accla: New Trends in Boys Love and Girls Love
• Comics Can Change the World with Patti Ramos
• Zine-Making 101: a workshop on crafting independently-produced "fanzines" led by Komiket's Bunny Luz

In addition to these talks, attendees can also check out other activities at the fair, like puppet shows, storytelling sessions, performances, and Cosplay Filipiniana, a cosplay competition in which fans can portray their favorite Philippine literary characters.

Here's the full schedule of activities for all four days of the Philippine Book Festival:

Exhibitors at the Philippine Book Festival 2024:

This year's Philippine Book Festival boasts a whopping 160 exhibitors from the local publishing scene. For four days, readers, educators, and book lovers of all ages can shop-til-they drop at the various booths and kiosks available in the World Trade Center's vast space. 

Here are some of the featured exhibitors at the Philippine Book Festival 2024:

• Phoenix Publishing House
• SIBS Publishing House
• Merryland Publishing House
• C&E Adaptive Learning Solutions
• St. Bernadette Publishing House
• Central Books Supply
• Phoenix Educational Systems
• Rex Education
• F&J De Jesus Inc.
• JC Palabay Enterprises Inc
• Cengage Learning Asia
• St. Mary's Publishing Corporation
• Vicarish Publication and Trading
• Book Quick Marketing
• NBSAP
• Abiva Publishing Hosue
• Books ATBP. Corp
• PEPA
• Inspiration Publishing
• Megatexts Philippines
• University of the Philippines Press
• Milflores Publishing
• Ateneo Press
• Haring Ibon
• Indie Publishers Collab
• Vibal Group Inc
• Jesus G. Dureza
• OMG Literature- Hiyas
• Precious Pages
• J Silvers & J Vergara
• Anvil Publishing
• BDAP
• Rex Education
• Epigraphy Inc
• Bookmark
• Learning Is Fun
• 4K Project PPH Way
• Johny and Hansel Publications
• Lampara Books
• Adarna House
• Ilaw ng Tahanan Publishing
• Pumplepie Books and Happiness
• Tambayang Pambata
• ABC EDC Books
• Kuro Saku
• Kawangis Publishing
• Penlab
• Type Kita
• Callous Comics
• Komiket
• J Ignacio & R Valiente
• JB Tapia
• 19th Avenida Books
• Kajo Baldisimo
• Manix Abrera

How to get tickets to the Philippine Book Festival:

Entrance to the Philippine Book Festival is free. To help facilitate a faster flow of entry, attendees are encouraged to register online through the Philippine Book Festival website before heading to the event. After registering online, a copy of your responses will be sent to your registered emails, which you will then show at the registration booth before entry.

Alternatively, especially if you're heading there spontaneously, walk-ins are still welcome to enter.

The Philippine Book Festival will be held from April 25 to 28 at the World Trade Center in Pasay. Entrance is free. For more information, visit the Philippine Book Festival website.

Also read:
Manila International Book Fair Announces 2024 Schedule
The World's Largest Floating Book Fair Returns to the PH After 10 Years

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