5 World-Famous Filipino Novelists You Need to Be Reading

Read on to learn why these Filipino novelists have garnered the respect and admiration of readers outside the country

A novelist might create a fictional world, but this does not completely separate them from the affairs of reality. Tatler lists down a few Filipino writers of fiction who have gained popularity over the years.

While the plot, characters, and settings may vary in their stories, these writers relay a message that inevitably ties them together.

These writers similarly received recognition for their devotion in search of the truth and upholding their identity as Filipinos, proving that the rest of the world is more than interested in learning more about our eclectic heritage and history.

Jose Rizal

Above (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

While a people preserves its language; it preserves the marks of liberty.

- Jose Rizal -

The quote above is one of the famous lines lifted from Jose Rizal's novel El Filibusterismo. One might argue that the line is quite ironic as Rizal's novels, including El Filibusterismo, were originally written in Spanish. However, the line was written during a time of language repression. It struck a nerve in those who have read it, especially the unjust, as Rizal had planned.

With his tenacity and love for country, Rizal was able to rouse the unjust from the comfort of their thrones, all with a mighty pen.

Miguel Syjuco

Above (Photo: Lesekreis / Wikimedia Commons)

Miguel Syjuco is a decorated contemporary writer whose motivations are of old but told in a new perspective in a parody of himself in his most popular work, Ilustrado. The novel urges readers, especially those like himself, to reflect on their identity and capability to return to their motherland and give back to the community.

Even after the success of Ilustrado, Syjuco remained a shining light in literature and journalism as he writes for major media names like The New York Times, the BBC, and The Montreal Gazette and teaches at New York University.

Jessica Hagedorn

Above (Photo: Nancy Wong / Wikimedia Commons)

Bold and sharp are qualities that make Jessica Hagedorn. These are what many admire about the author as you can immediately catch Hagedorn's tone and see the image of the past that she brilliantly paints in each novel like Dogeaters.

Hagedorn isn't afraid to take us along as she explores the world she's made up in her stories which is unsurprising for someone who had always wanted to be free. "I was of age, you know, and I moved out and I wanted to be a poet and I wanted to do this and that and paint and I don’t know, just. . . I was an idiot on some level. . . and be free," she shared in a conversation with Will Schwalbe.

Ninotchka Rosca

Above (Photo: Filipino American Museum)

Ninotchka Rosca is an esteemed feminist author of the 1988 novel State of War. Rosca is proud of her roots and has always shown interest in digging deeper into our history to understand our identity as Filipinos.

She will unapologetically tackle issues concerning the motherland, which she is very much aware of, and this has inspired many to follow suit.

Nick Joaquin

Above (Photo: Goodreads)

Nick Joaquin had a way with words. But his eloquence is not the only quality that helped him earn recognition outside the Philippines. It was his patriotism that constantly emerges from his literary works.

Two of his novels, Cave and Shadows and The Woman Who Had Two Navels, continuously gain adoration from new readers who are introduced to his brilliance in school and libraries.