With only ten days left to subscribe for ESPERANZA STREET, an ‘evocative and richly populated debut novel’ by British author Niyati Keni, we’re taking a look a closer look at other fictional representations of the Philippines, where Esperanza Street is set. 

Though the country seems relatively under-represented, there’s a handful of gems waiting if you scratch the surface. Noli Me Tangere, by godfather of Filipino literature Jose Rizal, is a must-read, but for something more contemporary there’s also young guns like Miguel Syjuco, whose fantastic Ilustrado won the (much-missed) Man Asian Booker. 

This world library piece from @theguardian is another great place to start, and it’s also useful (for once) to read the comments, which led us to Charles Tan’s intriguing-looking Lauriat, an anthology of Chinese-Filipino Speculative Fiction. 

Moving off the printed page, the always-excellent Terracotta Film Festival has chosen the Philippines as its spotlight country this year – screenings are happening in London now until the 1st June, at the Prince Charles Cinema and the ICA. 

Find out more about Esperanza Street and Niyati Keni – including info on how to subscribe – here.