In celebration of Buwan ng Wika 2021 (Filipino Language Month 2021), Asian Author Alliance YouTube channel will host a live stream conversation on Friday, August 27, 9PM-10PM Eastern Time (Saturday, August 28, 9AM-10AM Philippine Time). Moderated by Gail D. Villanueva (My Fate According to the Butterfly, Sugar And Spite), the live Q&A will feature Philippine-based, Filipino debut authors, Mae Coyiuto, Kara Bodegon, and Caris Avendaño Cruz. Join the authors as they discuss writing, publishing, and the impact of Filipino representation for readers across the globe. Expand your TBR and #FilYourShelves!

Go HERE to watch on Youtube LIVE on Friday, August 27, 9PM-10PM Eastern Time (Saturday, August 28, 9AM-10AM Philippine Time)

Gail D. Villanueva is the author of SUGAR AND SPITE (Scholastic, 2021). Her debut novel, MY FATE ACCORDING TO THE BUTTERFLY (Scholastic, 2019), was named a Best Book of the Year by Kirkus Reviews, an Amazon Best Book of the Month Editor’s Pick, and a NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People. Born and based in the Philippines, Gail’s daily routine includes running a web design company with her husband while trying to keep up with the shenanigans of their many pets—dogs, ducks, turtles, cats, and random birds they befriend in the backyard. Learn more at www.gaildvillanueva.com.

Mae Coyiuto is a Chinese-Filipino author, born and raised in the Philippines. She is also the current editor of Young STAR, the youth publication under the newspaper Philippine Star. If she’s not writing, she’s usually fangirling over Beyoncé, tennis, Gilmore Girls, or all of the above. She loves writing about characters with artsy passions and wishes she gets to work with stories for the rest of her life. Her upcoming YA novel with Putnam/Penguin, CHLOE AND THE KAISHAO BOYS, is slated for Fall 2022. Find Mae on Twitter @maecoyiuto.

Kara Bodegon is the author-illustrator of SQUALO & MAGE (HarperCollins, 2023), a magical graphic novel inspired by video games and Philippine folklore. She works as a music journalist for Bandwagon Asia, a Singaporean media company by day and is usually the one who stays up until 6 a.m. for virtual concerts and interviews with some pretty cool bands. When she isn’t writing or drawing, Kara enjoys gaming, worshipping heavy metal and Disney soundtracks, and wishing she could one day be a great white shark. Her fiction and book art are represented by Sara Crowe of Pippin Properties, Inc. Learn more at www.karabodegon.com.

Caris Avendaño Cruz lives in Bulacan, Philippines and always carries a pen. She used to dream of becoming an illustrator, but when she realized that she was better at words than drawing, she jumped ship. Caris works as a copywriter for internet brands and cool businesses. However, her favorite things to write are magical stories featuring kids of color. When not plotting her next adventure (usually fictional!), she is most likely watching cooking show reruns, listening to instrumental music, or tweeting. She looks after a fluffy dog and a bundle of cats named after funny things. All of them share a collective love for napping. Caris’ middle grade novel, MARIKIT WEARS THE MAP TO THE ENGKANTOS, will be published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux in 2022. Learn more at www.carisavendanocruz.com.