For some, quarantine gave us the opportunity to go back to reading—a hobby we mastered when we were 13 years old and still healthy enough to go through ungodly hours. What’s a better momentary escape than *Tumblr era voice* plunging into books’ magical pages, right? 

Before you embark on another book shopping spree, here’s a tip: Pay attention to local titles. Philippine literature is a treasure trove of hundreds of genres and with what’s going on, helping our local authors is the next best decision. 

Luckily, we can do this at Aklatan, the first-ever, all-Filipino online book fair. Happening on Aug. 16 to 18, this event put together by the Book Development Association of the Philippines (BDAP) and Shopee will be our one-stop online shop where we can score works by Filipino authors—and some of these include titles from Ateneo University Press (AUP). 

With their advocacy on supporting local lit, AUP is making reading a communal activity among family and friends through book bundles: The National Artists for Literature bundle, the Short Stories bundle and the Mindanao Literature bundle. Other than these packages is a hella exciting sale: Bargain section books will be at P100. 

Here are some of the books you can score at AUP’s sale: 

“Ginseng And Other Tales from Manila” by Marianne Villanueva

With themes on urban violence and poverty, this collection of stories reveal new insights into human nature and the courage of the Filipino people.

“Into The Country of Standing Men” by Rey Ventura 

This book will make us think about our dreams of a better future and a better life—but how do we go about realizing them?

“Himig ng Sinag: Mga Piling Tula” by Manuel Principe Bautista

A collection of modern poems traces the author’s journey as a modernist writer from the 1940s to the 1990s.

Art by Yel Sayo