Essay

Background of the Author

F. Sionil José or in full Francisco Sionil José is one of the most widely-read Filipino writers in the English language. His novels and short stories depict the social underpinnings of class struggles and colonialism in Filipino society. José's works - written in English - have been translated into 22 languages, including Korean, Indonesian, Russian, Latvian, Ukrainian and Dutch.

F. Sionil José or Francisco Sionil José was born on December 3, 1924. He spent his childhood in Barrio Cabugawan, Rosales, where he first began to write. José was of Ilocano descent whose family had migrated to Pangasinan before his birth. Fleeing poverty, his forefathers traveled from Ilocos towards Cagayan Valley through the Santa Fe Trail. Like many migrant families, they brought their lifetime possessions with them, including uprooted molave posts of their old houses and their alsong, a stone mortar for pounding rice.

He attended the University of Santo Tomas after World War II, but dropped-out and plunged into writing and journalism in Manila. In subsequent years, he edited various literary and journalistic publications, started a publishing house, and founded the Philippine branch of PEN, an international organization for writers. José received numerous awards for his work. The Pretenders is his most popular novel. It is the story of one man's alienation from his poor background and the decadence of his wife's wealthy family.

Throughout his career, his writings espouse social justice and change to better the lives of average Filipino families. Probably the most critically acclaimed Filipino author internationally, he is much underrated in his own country because of his authentic "Filipino English" and his anti-elite views.

Sionil José also owns a bookshop, Solidaridad Bookshop, which is located in Padre Faura Street, Ermita, Manila. The bookshop offers mostly hard-to-find books and Filipiniana reading materials. It is said to...