Once upon a time, a manifold of varying kingdoms from across the nation gathered at a convention near the globe in a city not so far away. But mind you, these are no ordinary kingdoms of yours; these kingdoms hold an abundance of words written on pages and bound into what some call "books."
Loads of books graced the halls and the two decks of the convention. Kingdoms took their time to find their place to settle for the event — the event most awaited by countless people.
September was welcomed with solid showers of rain and flashy lightning, yet this calamity did not stop the occasion that was to be held for five days. An occasion awaited mainly by the lovers and conveyors of words — the writers and the readers.
The occasion is known as the Manila International Book Fair.
The Manila International Book Fair (MIBF) is the Philippines' largest and longest-running book fair. Through this event, different publishers — big or indie, and even university presses — had their existence and their books made known to visitors.
The MIBF was not a strange name to my ears, nor a new experience for me. The book fair's existence was already made known to me by my friends and the professors I had and have as a Creative Writing student. Yet, this year's book fair was much more different and memorable to me as a writer and reader, a student majoring primarily in writing, and a trainee in a publishing company.
"X marks the spot."
Treasure hunters always believe in this tagline because underneath that X mark is the expected abundance of riches: gold bars, money, and jewelry. Hidden under that X mark would also leave an imprint on them.
But treasures are more than shiny and glittery things. They are more than just something that could be financially beneficial. Treasures can also benefit someone's knowledge; treasures can also be found in books.
And these treasures can also be found beneath the sand. They can also be found at the 2-71 booth in MIBF whose books have left and will leave a mark.
As a trainee, assisting in manning the booth for a book fair was something one should notice. This, without delay, came true when I was given and grabbed the chance to be present at our booth for a couple of days. Aside from the fact that one could have the opportunity to casually meet published authors on the scene, the beauty and amusing experience were also found in the act of inviting visitors to your booth.
Booth 2-71 is not a booth that stands like anyone else's because this booth is a collaboration between several local publishers that were present for the MIBF. Shelves of books from different genres lined up on the booth's wall. This collaboration between publishers increased the chance for the visitors to have a wide selection of books and casual interactions with published authors.
In that same booth, I could also meet and interact with published authors.
I could also go around the convention and visit some friends assisting at their respective booths.
After several days of staying at the booth to assist with the encounters and other happenings, this opportunity left a mark on me. It is lovely how I saw the collaboration between indie publishers during that two-day assistance in the booth — how they promoted and eventually were able to sell some of their publications. That sight and experience for two days dissolved all the foot and back pain I gained from walking around amongst kingdoms of publishers and halls of books.
Among the vast and notable publishers who have left their mark on the nation for a long time, booth 2-71 left a mark on me as a writer, reader, and trainee.
by Cyra Aleeza Benosa