A famous quote that goes, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up,” is attributed to Spanish painter and co-founder of the Cubist movement Pablo Picasso. Before we became jaded with this thing called life or before our thoughts became muddled with day-to-day survival, our imaginations once ran wild playing house with our dolls, pretending to drive cars that are actually just huge carton boxes, or creating stories of princes and princesses in our minds. For 17-year-old writer Marga Monserrate, it was only a matter of time before the tales in her head were translated into paper—and later on, a whole novel titled It Was A Pleasure to Be Yours, Arabella Brown, which was published by 8Letters Bookstore and Publishing in December 2021. Robinsons Malls joins this young writer in celebrating her debut piece through a book launch on May 21, 3 p.m. at Robinsons Magnolia’s Central Garden.
The launch of this new book at Robinsons Magnolia is part of our commitment to inspire young and independent writers like Monserrate to keep honing their artistry. Now more than ever, we realize the greater importance of promoting the culture of reading, writing, and critical thinking which are essential to our sustained growth as a nation,” says Arlene Magtibay, SVP and General Manager of Robinsons Malls.
Aside from the usual book signing, there will also be a question-and-answer session with the author, who is more than excited to share her journey about writing the book at such a young age. A live reading with the University of Asia and the Pacific students is also scheduled during the afternoon affair.
It Was A Pleasure to Be Yours, Arabella Brown is a modern take on the forbidden love trope popularized by Shakespeare’s classic, Romeo and Juliet. In Monserrate’s novel, Arabella Brown and Carter Nordom fall in love in the chic city of Los Angeles—but not without a hitch. Challenged with their family issues, they resort to sneaking glances, running away to secret spots, and trying their best to keep the spark alive. And like most epic love stories, there is a never-ending threat to their relationship that they must move past. This tale full of twists and tears is the product of a teenager’s mind in the middle of a pandemic. At the age of 16, Monserrate’s life—like most of us—had to take an awkward pause given restrictions about going out and socializing. Stuck at home, she pursued her passion for writing romance novels and scribbling love letters. A year later, at 17, she published her debut novel, a dream she’s had for a while now.
ADVT.
