Magdaragat: An Anthology of Filipino-Canadian Writing - Paperback

by Teodoro Alcuitas (Editor), C. E. Gatchalian (Editor), Patria Rivera (Editor)

Since first arriving in Canada, the Filipino community has contributed invaluably -- and too often invisibly -- to the fabric of Canadian society. In this anthology of Filipino-Canadian writing, Magdaragat explores the diverse intricacies of these growing yet underrepresented peoples, continuing the vital work of recognizing and celebrating their cultural contributions.

The 43 contributors to this anthology hail from across Turtle Island. They provide their singular yet universally resonating insights through stories of new homes and old homelands, of untangling internalized racism and championing solidarity, of the chasms within intergenerational households and the work of repairing them, and more. Poems, essays, short fiction, plays, and speeches -- their works collected here showcase a wide breadth of Filipino-Canadian experience.

Through stories of sacrifice, violence, and discrimination interspersed with stories of success, recovery, and solidarity, Magdaragat delves into Filipino-Canadian history, the joys and struggles of its present, and the hopes and aspirations for the future.

Author Biography

Jim Agapito is a Filipino journalist and filmmaker from Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Hari Alluri is a migrant poet.

Christine Añonuevo is a community organizer, writer, and educator.

Kaia M. Arrow is a neurodivergent, sick & disabled, queer, Filipina settler artist, educator, and advocate.

Isabel Palanca Aureus grew up in Northern Philippines. She usually writes about technology and business as a product marketing leader.

Leon Aureus is a writer, actor, director, producer, and community leader dedicated to creating and supporting proud and diverse stories.

Jennilee Austria-Bonifacio is a community worker, public speaker, tour guide in Toronto's Little Manila, and founder of Filipino Talks.

Jellyn Ayudan is a recent graduate of the Univ. of Regina with an honours degree in English. She currently works at University of Regina Press as an editorial assistant.

Hannah Balba’s research interests, inspired by her deep involvement with Filipino community groups in Vancouver, centre around Canadian foreign domestic worker movements.

Monica Anne Batac - a teacher, community organizer, and PhD candidate - identifies as a second-generation Filipina/x in the Canadian diaspora.

Alexa Batitis is a 2nd-generation Filipino-Canadian writer living in Ottawa, OT. Her published works include poetry, fiction, and non-fiction.

Mila Bongco-Philipzig has poetry, personal essays, and articles published in various magazines, anthologies, and podcasts in the Philippines, Canada, and Germany

Isabel Carlin is a librarian and archivist. They are a Filipinx poet and activist who writes and struggles for the national democratic revolution in the Philippines.

Rachel Evangeline Chiong is an author, poet, and happy person.

Kay Costales is an author and poet, based in Toronto, ON. As a child of immigrants, it is important for her to always provide Filipino diaspora representation in her stories regardless of genre..

Gemma Derpo Dalayoan was a high school teacher in the Philippines and immigrated to Canada in 1976. She has received several awards for her community work and is the author of 4 books.

Ariel Dela Cruz is an educator and care worker based in Toronto, ON. Currently, they are a PhD student at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.

Nathalie De Los Santos is a writer and creative based in Vancouver, BC.

Sol Diana is a spoken word artist and teacher. He is of mixed Filipino and Scottish background.

Erica Dionora is a Filipina poet and illustrator. She grew up in Saipan, Northern Marianas Islands, and migrated to Canada in 2008.

Based in Toronto, OT, Carolyn Fe is a trilingual actress (English/French/Tagalog) and an award-winning singer-songwriter-lyricist.

Renato Gandia studied theology and holds a Master of Div degree, and worked as a journalist for daily newspapers in Alberta for several years.

Kawika Guillermo a.k.a. Christopher Patterson, is an associate prof. in the Social Justice Institute at the University of BC in Vancouver and the author of several books .

Primrose Madayag Knazan is an award-winning Filipinx-Canadian playwright and author.

José Romelo Lagman, a computer programmer and internationally published sports and travel photographer, started writing during the pandemic lockdowns.

Yves Lamson is a 2nd-generation Filipino-Canadian writer who takes from the Philippine oral tradition to spin tales of fantastic creatures.

Grace Sanchez MacCall is a founding member of the Eastwood Writers Collective. Her writing explores themes of power, culture, construction of knowledge, inequality, and strategies of resistance.

Lorina Mapa is the author of a graphic novel Duran Duran, Imelda Marcos, and Me .

Deann Louise C. Nardo is a poet, interwoven artist, and cultural worker in Montréal.

Rafael Palma is an English major at Brandon Univ., with a minor in Creative Writing. He has been writing poetry ever since high school.

Remilyn "Felix" Policarpio is a Filipino transmasculine artist, musician, educator, and storyteller.

Leah Ranada's writing is informed by her childhood in Metro Manila and eventual move to Vancouver in 2006. in 2021.

Alma Salazar Retuta, MD, DVM, works in Calgary, Alberta, as a physician. She came to Canada in 2011 with her family.

In her brief life, Rani Rivera (1981-2016) experienced moments of darkness and light. Her poetry collection All Violet was published by Caitlin Press (Dagger Editions) in 2017. For a review of her posthumous collection, All Violet, please go to: http: //themaynard.org/views/rivera0218.php.

Aileen Santiago is a teacher in Toronto, ON, with a background in languages, literacy, and social justice education.

Angelo Santos is a writer, filmmaker, and physiotherapist who spent his formative years living in many places around the world..

Carlo Sayo is a cultural worker engaging in diverse artistic disciplines such as visual and installation art, poetry, new media, and performance work.

Maribeth Manalaysay Tabanera a.k.a. Kilusan is a Tagalog Visayan filipinx queer non-binary multi-hyphenate artist, educator, and community organizer from Winnipeg.

Born and raised in Manila, Philippines, Steffi Tad-y is a poet and writer based in Vancouver, BC.

Vincent Ternida is the author of the novella The Seven Muses of Harry Salcedo. His essays, articles, and poetry have appeared in several publications. He is currently completing a short story collection. He lives in Vancouver, BC.