Peruvian novelist Mario Vargas Llosa, 2010 Nobel laureate in Literature, was conferred an honorary doctorate on Nov. 8 at De La Salle University (DLSU).

The former journalist and former presidential candidate in Peru studied at La Salle schools in both Bolivia and Peru in his early days.

Llosa was in Manila last week with his partner, Isabel Preysler, for a lecture at the University of Santo Tomas, where he received an honorary professorship, and to receive the honor from DLSU.

He was last in the Philippines in 1978, to meet with Philippine members of the Poets, Essayists and Novelists (PEN) International, which he headed at the time.

“We have to convince our children that reading is an extraordinary pleasure,” said Llosa, who wore a barong Tagalog to the DLSU event. “The way to become a good citizen.”