He's the Man (Asian)!

2008 Man Asian Literary Prize winner Miguel "Chuck" Syjuco

I'm sure most, if not all those in the Philippine literary community have heard--and are rejoicing, I would imagine--by now that Montreal-based Miguel "Chuck" Syjuco won this year's Man Asian Literary Prize--the Asian equivalent of the Booker Prize--for his debut novel Ilustrado. This win naturally reinforces the terrific buzz surrounding the novel after it garnered the Grand Prize at the Palancas last September. Now a lot of people, myself included, eagerly await its publication.

I don't know the man personally, but I can't help but feel happy for him. Imagine, winning at his age (31) and with his very first novel? Very few writers can pull that off. More importantly, I'm happy about Syjuco's win for it may help bring overdue attention to the country as an emerging force in the global literary stage. Maybe the exposure resulting from the victory may get more people, particularly those in the West, interested in the stories we tell and how we write them. Wouldn't that be sweet?

At the same time, I can't help but notice how, judging from the premise and the excerpt, history plays a pivotal role in the narrative. In that sense, it appears Ilustrado is the latest in a very long line of novels where history is a major player. Needless to say, history will remain a top topic for writers to tackle--and that's something I sort of feel ambivalent about, at least as I write this.

In any case, Syjuco winning the Man Asian Literary Prize is a huge encouragement. Not only to him, but also, to a certain extent, to the Philippine literary community. For that, among many things, his victory should be celebrated.

Photo: The Man Asian Literary Prize