Asst. Prof. Benedict N. Parfan, MFA, incumbent Director of the Publishing House, and Prof. John Jack G. Wigley, PhD, a former Director of the Publishing House, were elected as Trustees of the Book Development Association of the Philippines (BDAP) for a two-year term that commenced on January 10, 2024. The general membership elected the trustees last year.
According to Wigley, priority projects of BDAP include “activities related to the Philippines being the Guest of Honor in the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2025, establishment of Philippine Book Fairs in different parts of the country, the 2024 and 2025 Gintong Aklat Awards, and the strengthening of readership and book publishing among its stakeholders and members.”
Meanwhile, Parfan stated that collaborations “with the book industry, other academic institutions and our fellow publishers” will continue. Recently, UST participated in the Sinag Festival with other publishers from the country’s top universities. Being in BDAP, according to Parfan, “will also give the USTPH a voice in influencing policies concerning the publishing industry. As trustees, our participation in BDAP will also open doors to the university as regards major international book events and organizations. We’re also planning collaborative events where we can launch books from different publishers in one venue to provide more interactions among authors and readers.”
Parfan authored works such as “Orbits of Obsession: Notes on the Philippine Lyric Sequence in English,” “By the Fisherman’s Grief,” and “Antarctica” and was a finalist in plums such as the Madrigal Gonzalez Best First Book Award, the Gemino H. Abad Prize for Poetry, and Manining Miclat Awards for Poetry. He is a resident fellow of the Center for Creative Writing and Literary Studies.
Wigley, former Chair of the Department of Literature, has authored several books, including “Home of the Ashfall: A Memoir” and “Falling into the Manhole: A Memoir.” Apart from serving in administrative capacities in UST, he previously served as Treasurer of the BDAP from 2013-2017. Both are resident fellows of the Center for Creative Writing and Literary Studies.
