MANILA, Philippines - The two novels, Poon and Mass, part of F. Sionil Jose’s five-novel Rosales saga, are now available in Tagalog. Poon which is set in the 1870s and is the first in terms of chronology in the Saga is translated by Lilia Antonio, literature professor at the University of the Philippines in Diliman.
Mass, the concluding novel in the Saga, which is set in the Seventies is translated by Lualhati Bautista, the award-winning novelist and author of the bestselling novel Dekada 70.
The Rosales Saga spans 100 years of Philippine history from 1872 — when the three Filipino priests, Gomez, Burgos and Zamora, were executed by the Spaniards. The saga ends with Mass set in 1972 when Marcos declared martial law.
The three other novels, all of which are interconnected but which can be read independent of each other, are Tree, My Brother, My Executioner and The Pretenders. They are scheduled for translation, too.
Poon is mentioned by The Guardian as one of the three best books on the Philippines. Mass is F. Sionil Jose’s most widely translated novel.
For information, call Solidaridad at 254-1086 or 254-1068.