18 Best Filipino Authors On Your Must-Read List (2024)

Are you looking for a new book to read? Check out these 18 best Filipino authors that you will absolutely love.

Many people living in thePhilippineshave had intense struggles through poverty, crime, and cultural challenges. Those who are skilled writers take those challenges and transform them into great works of literature. If you want to get a feel for the human struggle that the people of thePhilippinesexperiencing, reading one of theseFilipinoauthorscould give you that insight.

Throughout the works created by famous authors from the Philippines, you will find something to fit almost any taste. From historic to modern, here are theFilipinoauthorsyou need to read.

1.Carlos Bulosan

Born in thePhilippinesin a small farming village called Mangusmana,Carlos Bulosancame from a family who struggled to make ends meet. Determined to help his family and improve his education, Bulosan emigrated to the United States at the age of 17. He started working low-paying jobs while facing racism and illness until he finally learned how to write and put a voice to the struggles of theFilipinopeople in the United States.

His best-known work is a semi-autobiographical book called America Is in the Heart. He also wrote The Freedom from Want. Bulosan was both a novelist and a poet, and he died in Washington in 1956. If you enjoyed our round-up of the best Filipino authors, we have many more articles on the best authors from around the globe. You might want to check out our list of the best Korean authors. Or use the search bar at the top right of the page to search for authors in a country or region you are interested in.

2.Jessica Hagedorn

Born in 1949 inManila,Jessica Hagedornis a modern playwright, poet and writer. She came to the United States in 1963 to get her education at the American Conservatory Theater training program. She lives inNew YorkCity and has won an American Book Award and the Lucille Lotel Foundation fellowship.

Hagedorn has many famous works to her name, but Mango Tango, her first play, is one of her most famous. She also wrote Burning Heart: A Portrait of thePhilippinesand the fiction novel Dream Jungle.

3.Jose Rizal

Jose Rizalcame from a wealthyFilipinofamily He was well-educated and spent much of his time as ayoung adulttraveling Europe to discuss politics. He also studied medicine at the University of Heidelberg and pushed for Filipino reforms under the Spanish authorities. His execution at the age of 36 put a fast end to his writing career.

Rizal wrote a number of poems as a teenager. He also wrote an Operetta called On the Banks of the Pasig. His first novel, Noli Me Tangere, offended the religious leaders of his area and caused him to be deemed a troublemaker. This likely led to his later arrest for political and religious problems.

4.Randy Ribay

Randy Ribayis aFilipinoauthorwho writes middle-grade andyoung-adultfiction. Though he was born in thePhilippines, he was raised in the United States and majored in English literature at the University of Colorado with a graduate degree from Harvard. In addition to writing, he teaches English inSan Francisco.

Ribay’s first works were poetry, but his bookPatron Saints of Nothingis an award-winning work of adult fiction. He also wrote An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes and After the Shot Drops. You might also be interested in our round-up of the best Indian authors of all time.

5.Barbara Jane Reyes

Poet and authorBarbara Jane Reyeswas born inManilaand moved to the United States as a child. She studied literature and writing in California before launching her award-winning career. She now serves as an adjunct professor at the University ofSan Francisco.

Reyes’s published works include full-length poetry collections and chapbooks. Gravities of Center, Easter Sunday and Poeta enSan Franciscoall won awards, including the James Laughlin Award of the Academy of American Poets. Letters to a Young Brown Girl is another popular collection.

6.Elaine Castillo

Elaine Castillois an American writer who is ofFilipinodescent. She studied at the University of California Berkeley and the University of London. She is passionate about equality for the people of thePhilippines, and that comes out in her work.

In 2018 Castillo published her first novel America is Not the Heart. Though this is the only publication she has so far, many reviewers consider her an up-and-coming name in literature. NPR named it one of thebest booksof the year.

7.F. Sionil Jose

Francisco Sionil Jose was a Filipino writer who is one of the most widely read in the English language. He writes about the social struggles of his culture, and his books andshort storieshave a huge following. He was born in Pangasinan and attended the University of Santo Tomas before starting his journalism and writing career.

Jose has many novels in his name, including The Pretenders and The Rosales Saga. He also wrote Dusk: A Novel. He won the National Artist of thePhilippinesaward for his literary works. He died at the age of 97 in 2022.

8.Gina Apostol

Gina Apostolis a modernFilipinoauthorwho was born inManilaand attended Devine World College and the University of thePhilippinesbefore coming to the United States to earn her master’s degree at Johns Hopkins University.

Apostol’s first book, Bibliolepsy, recently received republication. She also wrote The Revolution According to Raymundo Mata and Gun Dealers’ Daughter. She has non-fiction works about Filipino American History and short stories to her name as well.

9.Joanne Ramos

Born in thePhilippines,Joanne Ramosmoved to Wisconsin when she was just six years old. She attended Princeton University, where she received a bachelor’s degree. She worked in investment banking and private investing before becoming a staff writer for The Economist.

In 2019 Ramos published The Farm, her first novel. It tells the tale of a facility namedGolden Oaks, where women serve as surrogate mothers for wealthy clients, and the main character isFilipino, shedding some light on the plight of poorFilipinowomenand where current cultural ideals could lead them.

10.Malaka Gharib

Malaka Gharibworks for NPR as the digital strategist and deputy editor for their global health and development team. She started this position in 2015, and before that worked with the Malala Fund, which raises money for educational charities.

Gharib is the author of thegraphic novelI Was Their American Dream: A Graphic Memoir. It talks about what she faced growing up as aFilipinoEgyptian American and introduces young readers to the culture of the Philippines. She also wrote How to Raise a Human and #15Girls, both of which won Gracie Awards.

11.Melissa de la Cruz

Melissa de la Cruzgrew up in Manila and made the move toSan Franciscoas a teenager. She majored in art history at Columbia University. She lives in West Hollywood, where she continues to write novels and middle-grade fiction.

Many of de la Cruz’s works are quite famous, including severalNew YorkTimes bestsellers. She published The Isle of the Lost, a prequel to the 2015 Disney movie Descendants, which spent weeks on the bestseller list. She is also famous for her Blue Bloods series, which has three million copies in print, and she has over 50 books to her name.

12.Mia Alvar

Mia Alvarwas born in thePhilippinesand raised in the United States and Bahrain. She attended Harvard College and Columbia University and currently resides in California.

Alvar won the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction for hershort storycollection In the Country. She serves as the writer in residence at the Corporation of Yaddo. Sech also earned the Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers award for her work.

13.Nick Joaquin

Best known for hisshort storiesand novels,Nick Joaquinoften wrote under the pen name Quijano de Mania. He was born in 1917 and fought in thePhilippineRevolution. After winning a nationwide essay competition, he started contributing poems and stories to magazines and newspapers. He was named the National Artist in 1957.

Joaquin has several novels to his name,including The Woman Who Had Two Navels and A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino. He focused on trying to explain and showcase Filipinocultureand its history.

14.MarceloHilario del Pilar y Gatmaitan

MarceloHilario del Pilar y Gatmaitan was often called Plaridel, his pen name. He was born in 1850 and lived in many parts of thePhilippinesbefore moving to Barcelona, Spain. Well-educated as a young man, especially in the arts, he became a well-knownFilipinowriteras an adult. He also attended law school and wrote on legal topics quite often.

Del Pilar was a prolific writer who published many works during his lifetime. The Greatness of God and The Triumph of the Enemies of Progress in thePhilippineswere some of them.

15. MeredithTalusan

MeredithTalusanis aFilipino-Americanauthor who moved to the United States at the age of 15. He has many excellent essays, stories, and books to her name. She attended Cornell University, where she received an MFA degree, and she worked as a journalist for many well-known publications. In addition to writing,Talusantrained as a dancer.

Talusanhas hit theNew YorkTimes Bestsellers list with Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture. She earned the Marsha P. Johnson Fellowship and the Poynter Fellowship at Yale. Many of her books talk about the LGTBQ+ community, and Fairest is her most recent publication.

16. LysleyTenorio

LysleyTenoriois aFilipinowriterwho wrote The Son of Good Fortune and Monstress. His work won many awards, including a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, an Edmund White Award, and the Rome Prize. Many of his works have become plays.

Tenoriofocuses much of his writing onshort stories. He was born in thePhilippinesand moved toSan Franciscoto pursue his passion for the arts. He works as an associate professor at Saint Mary’s College of California.

17. Mia Hopkins

Mia Hopkins is aFilipino-Americanwriter known for her romance novels. She lives in Los Angeles, and continues to publish new novels today. She likes to use working-class heroes in her works.

Mia Hopkins’ novels are full of steamy stories. Trashed is one of her most recent, and it is written from the point of view of the anti-hero of her previous novels. Her books have been featured on Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, and The Washington Post. Several of her works are part of a larger series, which gives the reader the chance to get to know her characters.

18. Tess Uriza Holthe

Tess Uriza Holtheis aFilipino-Americanwriter who was raised inSan Francisco. She attended Golden Gate University and works as an accountant in addition to her work as a writer.

Of her books, When the Elephants Dance is her most famous, hitting several national bestseller lists. She wrote the book during her breaks at work, and she drew information from her own father’s experience in thePhilippinesto inspire the story. She also wrote The Five-Forty-Five to Cannes. If you enjoyed this guide on the top Filipino authors, you might be interested in our round-up of the best Ukrainian authors.