Ateneo's Literary and Cultural Studies Program hosts conversation and book launch with Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

Ateneo de Manila's Literary and Cultural Studies Program (LCSP) hosted Cecilia Manguerra Brainard on the evening of 19 Feb 2026, at the Natividad Galang Fajardo Conference Room at De la Costa Hall. The event, titled "On Writing, Diaspora, and Translation," eschewed the usual lecture format and instead featured a conversation between Ms Brainard and LCSP Director Dr Charlie Samuya Veric. 

Born in 1947, Cecilia Manguerra Brainard is an author and editor of 22 books, including When the Rainbow Goddess Wept; The Newspaper Widow; Magdalena; and Selected Short Stories by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, which won the 40th Philippine National Book Award and Cirilo Bautista Prize.  She is also the co-founder of  Philippine American Women Writers and Artists (PAWWA) and founder the Philippine American Literary House (PALH). It was through the latter that she was launching a new edition of Linda Ty-Casper's A Small Party in a Garden, that evening.

During their conversation, Ms Manguerra Brainard and Dr Veric talked a lot about the former's past experiences, from her early years in Cebu as well as her experiences moving to the United States and writing as a Filipina abroad. Notable anecdotes include her use of her hometown as inspiration for her stories, but not actually using it as a setting, to avoid any nitpicking from historians.

Other topics included her work as a publisher and getting involved in the publication of a new edition of Linda Ty-Casper's A Small Party in a Garden.

Later on, members of the audience also got a chance to join in on the conversation during the lively open forum.

The actual book launch took place at the foyer of Colayco Hall. It began with remarks from the publisher, Ms Manguerra Brainard, as well as some remarks from Linda Ty-Casper herself.

Set in the Philippines during Marcos Dictatorship, A Small Party in a Garden tells the story of a privileged woman who is the right-hand woman of Imelda Marcos, and who, through the events transpiring from the titular party in a garden learns first hand what brutality meant under Martial Law.

This was followed by four student reactors, who each gave their thoughts on A Small Party in the Garden. These student reactors were, Ms Francesca Abalos, 4 AB Literature in English from Ateneo de Manila; Ms Alyssa Marie Lopez, undergraduate intern from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines; and Ms Sofia Ysabel Bernardo and Mr Stephen Seth Zagala, both MA students in Literary and Cultural Studies from Ateneo de Manila.

The event concluded with some closing remarks by Dr Jonathan Chua, former Dean of the School of Humanities.