The National Book Development Board (NBDB) rolled out a spirited send-off for more than 100 Filipino publishers, authors, illustrators, and creatives bound for the 2025 Frankfurt Book Fair (FBM), happening from October 15 to 19, where the Philippines takes the spotlight as its Guest of Honour (GoH).
The evening celebration, held at the 2025 Manila International Book Fair at the SMX Convention Center on September 11, brought together the country’s diverse delegation for networking and a toast to this historic moment in global publishing.
Guests at the send-off were given an exclusive first look at the Philippine Pavilion – a 2,300 square-meter cultural space featuring daily author talks, installations, performances, and more than 65 interdisciplinary programs highlighting Philippine literature and creativity.
“The National Book Development is here to ensure that all of you are ready to present our books to the world,” said NBDB Executive Director and Philippines as Guest of Honour (PhlGoH) Project Co-Director Charisse Aquino-Tugade. “Because when we step into Frankfurt, we bring not just our stories and books, but also the diverse voices and imaginations of the Filipino people. This is our chance to show the world that the Philippines’ creative industries are worth investing in.”
At the Frankfurt Book Fair, the world’s largest, oldest, and most prestigious book fair and rights marketplace where the global “who’s who” in publishing gathers annually, the Philippine delegation will showcase the richness of Philippine publishing, spanning contemporary and speculative fiction, poetry, children’s literature, nonfiction, and graphic novels and comics.
This historic milestone is made possible through the collaboration of the NBDB, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Office of Senator Loren Legarda.
As Guest of Honour, the Philippines will enjoy unprecedented visibility at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2025, opening doors to translation deals, international rights trading, cultural exchanges, and global readership growth.
Festive yet forward-looking, the send-off marked the culmination of years of preparation, and the start of an extraordinary journey as the Philippines takes its boldest leap yet onto the biggest global stage for books and ideas.
To learn more about the National Book Development Board and its upcoming activities, visit books.gov.ph, and follow the NBDB through its social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X.
