The  G.O.A.T. of Filipino writing in English, Nick Joaquin, a.k.a. Dahling Nick, is now part of Western Canon, joining fellow literature heavyweights Franz Kafka, Homer, and John Steinbeck, who have works published in Penguin Classics.

Being published in Penguin Classics is a big deal. The covers itself are a classic; the simple sans serif typeface, the orange and white stripes. What becomes added to the wide catalog of Penguin Classics also becomes Western canon, even if the titles themselves aren’t Western. In a nutshell, the Penguin Classics are as prestigious as it gets.”With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines,” their official website reads. “Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.”

“The Woman Who Had Two Navels” and “May Day Eve,” as well the play A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino, will be added to the Penguin Classics in one collection under Joaquin’s name. In an interview with CNN Philippines last June, publisher Elda Rotor having Nick Joaquin’s work published in Penguin was just a matter of time. “For Nick Joaquin, his reputation and legacy spoke for themselves,” she shares. “Having his centennial coming up and the fact that these works have not been widely available outside the Philippines made the idea of a Penguin Classic so much more exciting.”

Joaquin’s Birth centennial is coming this May 2017. The published work will include a foreword from Gina Apostol.

Photo from Newrepublic.com