The Book Development Association of the Philippines (BDAP) has revealed the finalists for the 2024 Gintong Aklat Awards (GAA).
In the Poetry in Filipino category, the finalists are “Lata ng Salaginto: Mga Tulang Pambata (The Philippine Writers Series 2022)” by Eugene Evasco and “Ang Kartograpiya ng Pagguho” by Ralph Fonte. For Poetry in English, Marjorie Evasco’s “It Is Time to Come Home: New & Collected Poems” and Michael Balili’s “Kaiju: Poems” made the cut.
For Fiction in Filipino, the finalists are “El Arbol de la Alegria” by RM Topacio-Aplaon and “Mga Sulat: 25 Kuwento ng Paglingap (The Philippine Writers Series 2022)” by Lamberto E. Antonio. Meanwhile, “The Collected Stories of Gregorio C. Brillantes” by Gregorio C. Brillantes and “Song of the Mango and Other New Myths” by Vida Cruz-Borja are in the running for Fiction in English.
In the Creative Nonfiction category, finalists include “Pasasaan” by Jesus Aman Calvario and “Saglit: Alaala’t Muni” by Rofel G. Brion for the Filipino division, while “Everything is Fiction: Essays” by Vicente Garcia Groyon and “Even Ducks Get Liver Cancer” by Wilfredo Liangco are competing in the English division.
The Graphic Literature finalists are “Meläg II: Balikbayan” by Bong Redila and “Libing-isa” by Malayo Pa Ang Umaga. For Plays/Screenplays, Ricky Lee’s “Mga Screenplay ni Ricky Lee Volume 1: Brutal, Moral, Karnal” and “Mga Screenplay ni Ricky Lee Volume 2: Himala, Cain at Abel, Salome,” Eljay Castro Deldoc’s “Pilipinas Kong Mahal With All the Overcoat at Iba Pang mga Dula,” and Nicanor Tiongson’s “Collected Plays 1: Revitalizing Tradition in Three Full-Length Plays” and “Collected Plays 2: Resurrecting History in Three Full-Length Musicals” are the contenders.
The awards also feature categories such as Arts & Humanities, Science and Technology and Natural and Applied Sciences, Social Sciences, General References, Food, Inspiration, Self-Help, and a Special Award for Book Design. A full list of finalists is available on BDAP’s official Facebook page.
Established in 1981, the Gintong Aklat Awards recognize outstanding book publishers based on the quality of their publications. The 2024 awarding ceremony will take place on Sept. 11 at the Manila International Book Fair, SMX Convention Center, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
