‘Sunugan ng wallet’ starts in August with Philippine Readers & Writers Festival

The Aug. 14 to 16 event comes a month before the Manila International Book Fair.

They say all roads lead to Cubao, and this time, Filipino bookworms have another reason to converge in the district.

The Philippine Readers & Writers Festival, one of the country’s biggest literary gatherings, is moving to the National Book Store Building in Araneta City for its 2026 edition, which runs from Aug. 14 to 16.

For years, the event was held at Raffles Makati, and the shift to Cubao could make the free three-day event more accessible to readers and commuters.

There’s also the first-time partnership with Komikon, the country’s longest-running annual komiks convention—giving the local literary scene another boost.

‘Unprecedented lineup’

Organizers promise an “unprecedented lineup” of publisher-led sessions, workshops, and panel discussions.

For aspiring authors and illustrators, the lineup includes a panel on finding stories in everyday life with Ronaldo Vivo Jr., Alvin Yapan, and Douglas Candano; an author-branding talk by Kath C. Eustaquio-Derla; and a manuscript clinic with editors R. Jordan P. Santos and Eustaquio-Derla.

BookTok, romance, and young adult readers can catch New York Times bestselling authors Thea Guanzon and Samantha Sotto-Yambao discussing their path to the bestseller list, while Andrea Panaligan, Cedrix Eligio, Jucelle Garcia, Koji Arsua, and MJ Ampolitod-Busa unpack BookTok trends and tropes. Mica de Leon, Kyra Ysabel, Ines Bautista-Yao, and Bea Bustamante will also discuss why romance remains a favorite, alongside a Flutter Fic launch featuring AnakNiRizal and La Tigresa.

Komiks and pop culture fans can look back at 20 years of Komikon with Jon Zamar, revisit the legacy of Kenkoy and Velasquez with Ian Velasquez, and catch a live appearance and performance by “The Notebook: The Musical” cast.

Fans of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror can hear Lucia Asul, John Ray, and Borg Sinaban discuss what makes Filipino sci-fi feel Filipino; Karl de Mesa, Bustamante, and Anthony Shieh tackle world-building and monsters; and Philippine horror writer Yvette Tan talk about “Where Horror Comes Home.”

History buffs and foodies can meet historian Ambeth Ocampo for a book signing and Chef Tatung for a talk and signing of “Simpol Kitchen Stories.” There will also be conversations and signings featuring Ayn Bernos and Myrza Sison, plus a “Rising Tigers” magazine signing with former congressman Mikee Romero, Comelec Commissioner George Garcia, and Grace Bondad Nicolas.

Parents, educators, and young readers can join Christine S. Bellen-Ang for a discussion on middle-grade fiction, while the

“Lifebooks” launch will feature Mayumi Cruz, VChesterG, Jonquil, and Keira Viresse.

For book hunters

Selected new releases and bestsellers will be up to 20% off, with “sulit” reads starting at ₱99 and “Buy More, Get More” deals on participating titles.

There will also be free limited-edition stamps for books, journals, and planners, freebies and prizes from publishers and partners, and free “skeks” cards for the first 100 attendees.

Attendees can also get free entrance passes to the Manila International Book Fair, which runs Sept. 9 to 13 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay.

Aspiring authors can present their manuscripts to publishing experts, while readers and creators can meet and network with fellow book lovers.

And with just a few weeks away from the MIBF, the PRWF is just the beginning of the “sunugan ng wallet” season.

READ: