“The Imagination Peoples the Air”: The Philippines at Frankfurt Book Fair 2025

At the official press conference for the Philippines' participation as Guest of Honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2025, Karina Bolasco, Head of Literary Programming, offered a poetic and poignant explanation of the theme “The Imagination Peoples the Air.” The phrase is drawn from José Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere, a haunting line from the tragic character Sisa, whose descent into madness symbolizes how imagination fills the void with voices, memories, and untold stories. It’s a powerful metaphor for the Filipino literary diaspora.

“The slogan was easy to apply,” Bolasco said, “because we are sticking closely to Rizal’s political concept. ‘The imagination peoples the air’ is not just poetry, it’s a political metaphor of presence. Through literature, we make ourselves known.”

Representing independent Filipino media in Europe, Mike and Maria Renker, hosts of TalkAlley and founders of MRenkerBooks Publishing, were present at the event through the invitation and efforts of Frankfurter Buchmesse as part of the accredited media for the press conference. Maria Renker was also present to introduce and represent the Philippine Literary Circle Europe an organisation she founded for Filipinos and Filipino-European based authors, publishers and creatives.

This year’s program fully embodies the theme. Out of 20 featured graphic novels, 19 have been translated into German, providing German audiences a rare window into Filipino visual storytelling. The cultural lineup also includes performances by the Philippine Madrigal Singers. Bolasco said, that what we should look forward to during the GOH will be the participation of five National Artists, and a keynote from Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa. She added that, "No issue is left untouched, conversations will tackle the West Philippine Sea disputes, democracy, climate change, and the experiences of the Filipino diaspora."

“We are clustering the talks thematically,” Bolasco explained. “First is ‘So That You May Know Us’ , an introduction to our identity. Second is ‘What Moves Us’ , the forces of climate change, politics, and diaspora struggles.”

 Stanley Ruiz, the brilliant Designer of the Philippine Pavilion, gave the audience an exciting glimpse of what the Philippine Stand at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2025 will look like. Blending traditional craftsmanship with modern minimalism, his design celebrates Filipino identity through natural materials, textures, and sustainable elements.

Ruiz, an award-winning industrial designer and founder of Estudio Ruiz, shared that the pavilion reflects the Filipino spirit — adaptive, creative, and deeply connected to nature. His background in designing for global fairs like Maison & Objet in Paris, Tokyo Gift Fair, and Salone del Mobile in Milan shines through in this project, where form meets cultural storytelling.

Author Maria Renker with Stanley Ruiz, Designer of the Philippine Pavilion

“It’s a space where literature breathes — where the imagination truly peoples the air,” he said.

Filipino author Blaise Campo Gacoscos, whose new book “The Boy Who Flew His Kite” is among the featured titles, shared a reflection on the understated nature of Filipino writers:

“I was taught it’s inappropriate for a litterateur to be loud,” he said. “We speak through stories, not slogans.”

A Shadow Over the Fair

While the Philippine participation celebrates identity and storytelling, the Frankfurt Book Fair 2025 faces criticism. A coalition called Publishers for Palestine, representing nearly 600 publishers in over 50 countries, has called for an industry-wide boycott of the Fair. They cite the event's alleged complicity in the Gaza conflict and accuse it of platforming voices supportive of war narratives, particularly regarding Israel’s military actions.

Their statement reads:

“The Fair has failed to address its ties to the German state and its corporate partnerships in Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza… it hosted voices that openly celebrated attacks on Palestinian media.”

Author Maria Renker with Juergen Boos, President and CEO of Frankfurter Buchmesse GmbH

Distinguished Guests and Cultural Leaders

The event was graced by notable leaders including:

• Charisse Aquino-Tugade, Executive Director of the National Book Development Board (NBDB), a key cultural worker, founder of The Manila Collectible Co., and founding director of Museo ng Muntinlupa.

• Consul General Marie Yvette Banzon-Abalos and Vice-Consul Fatima Mueller, representing the Philippine Embassy in Germany.

• Juergen Boos, President and CEO of Frankfurter Buchmesse GmbH, a seasoned publisher and champion of world literature, who also leads LitProm and LitCam, supporting literature from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and global literacy efforts.

📸 Spotlight: The Faces of the Philippines at FBM 2025

• 🇵🇭 Senator Loren Legarda, Project Advocate for the Philippine GOH participation

• 🇵🇭 Patrick Flores, Curator of the Philippine Pavilion

• 🇵🇭 Karina Bolasco, Literary Program Head, architect of the thematic structure

• 🇵🇭 Blaise Campo Gacoscos, Author of “The Boy Who Flew His Kite”

• 🇵🇭 Candy Gourlay, London-based Author of “Wild Song”

• 🇵🇭 Stanley Ruiz, Designer of the Philippine Pavilion

• 🎙️ Mike and Maria Renker, Founders of MRenkerBooks Publishing and Hosts of TalkAlley Podcast

🌏 In a world clouded by specters of war, memory, and exile, the Philippines responds with stories.

Because indeed, “The Imagination Peoples the Air.”

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