Miguel Syjuco’s Illustrado was awarded the second annual Man Asian Literary Prize.

Illustrado is a novel that touches on 150 years of often turbulent Philippines history.

“Ilustrado seems to us to possess formal ambition, linguistic inventiveness and socio-political insight in the most satisfying measure,” according to the judges.
Miguel Syjuco took home $10,000 cash prize.

Syjuco beat off competition from fellow Filipino Alfred A. Yuson for “The Music Child,” Indian writers Kavery Nambisan for “The Story that Must Not be Told” and Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi for “The Lost Flamingoes of Bombay.”

Chinese writer Yu Hua was also shortlisted for “Brothers.”

Via PDI

Two books by Filipino authors, Miguel Syjuco and Alfred Yuson are viewing for the most coveted Asia’s top literary prize.

Miguel Syjuco’s Illustrado and Alfred Yuson’s The Music Child are among the five works that are shortlisted for Man Asian Literary Prize. Winner of this contest will receive $10,000 on a ceremony to be held in Hong Kong this November 13.

The Man Asian Literary Prize is a competition of novels written in English. Both Yuson and Syjuco are renowned writers locally. Yuson is a popular author and has long been a Palanca Hall of Famer while Syjuco’s Ilustrado, won the Grand Prize at the Palanca Awards.

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