Choose your next literary fave: 17 books, poems by National Artists to read

MANILA, Philippines — National Literature Month may have been last April, but it is never too late to celebrate great works by great writers.

With the Independence Day in just a few days, it is about time to read books by Filipino authors from across genres. With so many books to choose from, it would help you pick what books to read next if you narrow the choices down to a category. How about books by National Artists for Literature this time? 

The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) recommends the following titles, which range from poems and short stories to novels and what-have-you, all authored by highly esteemed National Artists for Literature. There will surely be some which would catch your fancy.

Set in 1934, this short story revolves around a father who just lost his daughter. It narrates how the grieving family, amid their shock and pain, comes to accept the death of their family member two months after the funeral.

"The Flowers of May" won second place in the 1951 Palanca Awards. It was also featured in "Our Very Own," a TV anthology of dramatic readings directed by Father James Reuter and starring National Artists Lamberto Avellana and Daisy Avellana.

Arcellana was named National Artist in 1990.

If you are into poetry, this is the book for you. This is a collection of poems that exemplifies the National Artist’s genius in creating images and incorporating irony through her phenomenal usage of words.

In this book, you can find poems such as “The Tracks of Babylon,” “The Return,” “Mid-Morning for Sheba,” “Lament for the Littlest Fellow” and “St. Anthony’s Feast,” among others.

Tiempo was conferred the National Artist Award in 1999. 

The anthology book contains 103 poems that the National Artist wrote between 1956 and 1992. Divided into three sections, namely, Paghihintay, Paroo’t Parito, and Paglingon at Pagtanaw, this collection of poems depicts massive poverty, realities of urban dwelling, and the tyranny of the city’s idle upper class. 

Set in post-war Oriental Mindoro, the novel depicts the barrio life, with farming and kaingin as central themes.

From the book synopsis, the novel counters the myth of the Philippines’ lost native past and