Filipino American International Book Festival

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Filipino American International Book Festival Fulton Street between Hyde and Larkin was filled with booths featuring books, information, food, and other Filipino cultural products.

The Filipino American International Book Festival, alias FilBookFest, was envisioned and created by Gemma Nemenzo back in 2011 through Literacy Initiatives International Foundation (LIIF) in partnership with the San Francisco Public Library, the Philippine Consulate General of San Francisco, and Philippine American Writers and Artists (PAWA), The Asian Art Museum, and the Philippine Department of Tourism. First of its kind, on October 1-2, 2011, it gathered Filipino writers and artists from the Philippines and around the United States to participate in a variety of panel discussions, presentations, and readings at the Main Branch of the San Francisco Public Library and at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. Well-attended, it was a resounding succes. The second festival took place in October 18-20, 2013 again at the San Francisco Main Library. Officially presented by PAWA, the San Francisco Public Library, and the Philippine Consulate General of San Francisco, the festival’s theme was “Likhâ ng Lahi—Writing Out Way Home: Shaping Tradition, History and Culture. That year, the festival was extended to three days to feature on that Friday films and publications by Richie Quirino and Nick Decampo. Saturday and Sunday featured authors from the Philippines and the United States. The third was in October 2015. Visit for more details. The next festival: October 14-16, 2022.

Where nothing grows but friendship. 🌳In “Manong Giordani Acu 2 weeks after Hurricane Helene,” from Soup for the Storm, P...
10/14/2026

Where nothing grows but friendship. 🌳

In “Manong Giordani Acu 2 weeks after Hurricane Helene,” from Soup for the Storm, Poems of Hurricane Helene, Tony Robles sits in a car with a friend after the storm. Trees, a failed garden, and an elder’s wisdom become a quiet tribute to friendship and resilience.

Tony is the author of five poetry collections shaped by the landscapes of his life, including Cool Don’t Live Here No More: A Letter to San Francisco. Born and raised in San Francisco, he now lives in Hendersonville, North Carolina, with his cat and proofreader, Francesca. 🐈

Meet Tony at the 8th Filipino American International Book Festival.

Graphic design by Alesandra Bell, Joanna Tanap, and Rianna Punzalan. Maraming salamat! 💛

Thank you to the following donors who make FilBookFest8 possible! This is truly a community event and we are grateful fo...
10/14/2026

Thank you to the following donors who make FilBookFest8 possible! This is truly a community event and we are grateful for your generosity and support.

Your funds enable Philippine American Writers and Artists, Inc. (PAWA) and our partner San Francisco Public Library to promote and amplify the voices of local, national and international Filipinx and Filipinx American poet and writers. Salamat!

It's not too late to give - please consider a gift today: filbookfestival.org/sponsor

Two cultures, one heart, held at once. 🍧In "Pilipinx-American," from Halo-Halo: A poetic mix of culture, history, identi...
10/13/2026

Two cultures, one heart, held at once. 🍧

In "Pilipinx-American," from Halo-Halo: A poetic mix of culture, history, identity, revelation, and revolution, Justine Ramos wrestles with what it means to carry two cultures that can feel like opposite ends of a magnet.

Justine holds a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Tufts University and a B.A. in English from UCLA. Halo-Halo is her debut poetry collection.

Meet Justine at the 8th Filipino American International Book Festival.

Graphic design by Alesandra Bell, Joanna Tanap, and Rianna Punzalan. Maraming salamat! 💛

Decades of poetry, still beckoning. ✨Arlene Biala is a Pinay writer from the San Francisco Bay Area who has been perform...
10/12/2026

Decades of poetry, still beckoning. ✨

Arlene Biala is a Pinay writer from the San Francisco Bay Area who has been performing and teaching poetry for over three decades. A 2023-2026 Lucas Artist Residency Fellow in Literary Arts at the Montalvo Arts Center and Poet Laureate of Santa Clara County (2016-2017), she is the author of continental drift, one inch punch, and her beckoning hands, winner of the 2015 American Book Award.

Her latest book, a thousand voices whispering (Sampaguita Press, November 2025), is available at bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, and Arlene's tote bag. 📖

Meet Arlene at the 8th Filipino American International Book Festival.

Graphic design by Alesandra Bell, Rianna Punzalan, and Joanna Tanap. Maraming salamat! 💛

Dani Putney looks fiercely at the complex nature of multiple identities. Hear Dani and other amazing poets read their wo...
10/11/2026

Dani Putney looks fiercely at the complex nature of multiple identities.

Hear Dani and other amazing poets read their work at Inkstorm at this year’s Filbookfest.

Thank you Alesandra Bell, Rianna Punzalan & Joanna Tanap for posts celebrating our poets! 💜

Thank you to the following donors who make FilBookFest8 possible! This is truly a community event and we are grateful fo...
10/11/2026

Thank you to the following donors who make FilBookFest8 possible! This is truly a community event and we are grateful for your generosity and support. Your funds enable us to promote and amplify the voices of local, national and international Filipinx and Filipinx American poets and writers.  Salamat!

It’s not too late - please consider giving a donation today at filbookfestival.org/sponsor

A poem built from the words we carry. 🌿In "All the Words I Can Remember Are Poems," from her 2025 collection of the same...
10/10/2026

A poem built from the words we carry. 🌿

In "All the Words I Can Remember Are Poems," from her 2025 collection of the same name, Michelle Peñaloza pairs Tagalog words with English lines, letting each word open into its own small world of longing, joy, and homecoming.

Join us at the 8th Filipino American International Book Festival to celebrate Michelle and her work.

Graphic design by Alesandra Bell and Joanna Tanap. Salamat! 💛

Join us in honoring M. Evelina Galang with PAWA’s Inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes poets and write...
10/10/2026

Join us in honoring M. Evelina Galang with PAWA’s Inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes poets and writers who have made and continue to make significant contributions to Filipino and Filipino American literature.

Learn more as she and Lysley Tenorio talk about their work in a Fogside Chat on Saturday, October 17 at 3:15 PM at this year’s FilBookFest!

Rising toward the surface, remembering who we are. 🐚Another passage from Aileen Cassinetto's An Immigrant's Guide to Nav...
10/10/2026

Rising toward the surface, remembering who we are. 🐚

Another passage from Aileen Cassinetto's An Immigrant's Guide to Navigating Borders & Bodies of Water (2025) looks beneath the waves to the sunken fleets of explorers and the quiet, daily migrations of the deep. It's part prayer, part reclamation.

Read along with us during the 8th Filipino American International Book Festival.

Graphic design by Alesandra Bell and Joanna Tanap. Thank you for bringing these words to life! 💛

PoetrySeries

10/10/2026

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100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA
94102

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