The Japan Foundation, Manila and the Japan Foundation Asia Center, with our partners the Filipinas Heritage Library, the Asia-Pacific Writers Conference, A Public Space, and the Nippon Foundation, have organized 2 events this October: a talk on new Japanese writing and a panel on manga as contemporary literature.
Monkey Business is a Tokyo- and Brooklyn-based annual literary magazine published in English and Japanese that showcases new voices from both sides of the Pacific. Contributors include Haruki Murakami, Meiko Kawakami, and Satoshi Kitamura, with contributions from Stuart Dybek, Eric McCormack, and Rebecca Brown. Author Roland Kelts, one of the magazine’s editors, and artist and contributor Satoshi Kitamura, will introduce the magazine and its sixth year of success in introducing cutting edge Japanese writing, art and culture to a rising global readership.
Talk: New Japanese Writing
Speakers: Roland Kelts & Satoshi Kitamura
Ayala Museum, Makati Ave.,Makati City | Wednesday, October 21st 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Free and open to the public, but please register at http://monkeysinmanila.eventbrite.com
Free coffee provided by Kalsada Coffee
Join writer and editor Roland Kelts, author of Japanamerica, and artist/author Satoshi Kitamura for a presentation and discussion about MONKEY BUSINESS, the only annual English-language magazine introducing leading authors and artists from Japan. Kelts and Kitamura will introduce the origins of this uniquely successful six-year global project, revealing publishing strategies for reaching readers worldwide with combined Asian and Western content. They will present both visuals and text from the magazine via graphical displays and readings.
Contributors to Monkey Business include Haruki Murakami, Yoko Ogawa and Mieko Kawakami, and Western writers and artists Paul Auster, Charles Simic and Kelly Link. Each year the latest issue is introduced on tours that have included New York City, San Francisco, Toronto, Los Angeles, Chicago, Jakarta, Singapore and other literary hubs, old and new. Join us to learn about the Japanese magazine that Pulitzer Prize-winning author Junot Diaz calls “an astonishment, by turns playful and profound, that makes you wish it were a monthly.”
This engaging and scintillating discussion about contemporary Japanese literature was made possible with the support of our local partner the Filipinas Heritage Library, and with coffee provided by Kalsada Coffee, we hope that this will be one of many upcoming talks about new Japanese writing.
Panel: Manga, Graphic Novels, and Comics as Contemporary Literature
Speakers: Roland Kelts, Satoshi Kitamura, Budjette Tan, and Muhammad Reza
University of the Philippines, Diliman | Thursday, October 22nd 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Conference fee and registration required at http://apwriters.org/apwt-2015-manila
Graphic novels and related art-forms are respected and win literary prizes in the West. But Asian manga has yet to make that same leap – has the right time finally come? An up-to-the-moment discussion with Filipino Graphic Novelist Budjette Tan, author of the award-winning series Trese; Roland Kelts, author of Japanamerica; artist/author Satoshi Kitamura and Indonesian comic writer and illustrator Muhammad “Azer” Reza. The panel will be moderated by Emil Flores.
Ronald Kelts was born to an American father and a Japanese mother, and grew up in both America and Japan. Kelts is the author of the acclaimed bestseller, Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture has Invaded the US, and a visiting scholar at Keio University in Tokyo. As a journalist, essayist and columnist, he writes for many publications such as The New Yorker, The Guardian and The Japan Times, and he is an authority on Japan’s contemporary literary and popular cultures. He imparts his unique perspective on Japanese culture to audiences worldwide as a public speaker and media commentator on CNN, NPR, NHK and the BBC. Most recently, Kelts delivered a TED Talk in Tokyo at TedxHaneda.
Muhammad Reza, or better known as Azer, uses Instagram (@komikazer) to publish his current work, creating a space for discussion and opinion. Following the tradition of print media illustration, Azer’s strip in the virtual world about everyday life and familiar characters is thick with satirical humor criticism. His work re-frames popular socio-political issues and subculture that has existed since the New Order era to the present day.
Satoshi Kitamura is an award-winning picture-book artist and illustrator. His own books include When Sheep Cannot Sleep: The Counting Book, Millie’s Marvelous Hat, and Lily Takes a Walk. He has worked with numerous artists and poets, especially with poet John Agard, with whom he has collaborated on a number of books including The Young Inferno and Goldilocks on CCTV. Kitamura has contributed to the latest issue of Monkey Business “Variation and Theme,” a picture narrative inspired by a poem by Charles Simic
Budjette Tan is an ad man by day and a comic book writer by night. Whether it be day or night, his love for creating shareable brand stories or telling fantastic, magical stories is what he always keeps in mind. By the way, his name is pronounced “budget”, but please don’t ask him any questions about finance. His creator-owned crime/horror comic book Trese has won three Philippine Book Awards for Best Graphic Literature. His most recent award was won for his fantasy comic book Mikey Recio and the Secret of the Demon Dungeon.
Invite:
https://www.facebook.com/events/110188649340726
