Romero, Jansen Joel C.

4lit

Creative Writing

Assoc. Prof. Nerisa del Carmen-Guevara

Submitting Mangoes

With the help of National Book Development Board (NBDB) and UST Center for

Creative Writing and Literary Studies, the lecture-launch of Marivi Soliven’s book The Mango

Bride took place last July 30, 2013 at the Tanghalang Teresita Quirino in UST. Soliven talked

about the processes of being published, she shared about how, through her own efforts, brought

her work into the limelight. According to her, the book is already read “worldwide” and other

translations of the book will be published soon. It is obvious that her book is remarkable, starting

from the issues about Filipinas who are being “exported” to America just to have a better life.

When it comes to the production process, the book also has a remarkable story because as

Soliven revealed to us during that time; in able to be published in this field, one should know

his/her goals and must be willing to do everything for the work to be published.

After the strenuous journey of Soliven to submit her work to publishers, she is able to

harvest the fruits of her labour. Her work won the Don Carlos Palanca award for Novel in 2011

and because of these publishing groups agreed to help her distribute her work worldwide. She is

able to share something about her book in different lecture forums and last July 30, 2013 she

held her first campus talk in UST. This explains why well-known writers always encourage

young writers to just submit their work to publishing groups and award-winning groups because

nobody knows, it could be an opening for greater path.