Miguel Syjuco Philippines/Canada

Bio
Miguel Syjuco’s debut novel, Ilustrado, won the 2008 Man Asian Literary Prize as well as the 2008 Palanca Award, the Philippines’ highest literary honour. The eagerly anticipated book will be released worldwide in early 2010. After working as a medical guinea pig, movie extra, eBay power seller of ladies' handbags in the past, he has taught in university programmes and worked as a journalist at major international publications. Born in Manila and based in Montreal, he has a master's degree in creative writing from Columbia University. He is completing a PhD in English literature from the University of Adelaide in Australia.



What book would you like to snuggle under covers with, and why?
"The book I am dying to snuggle under covers with is Roberto Bolaño’s 2666. The idea of 'being under the covers' hints at time stolen from daily life, of hiding out, and reading to my heart’s content. Bolaño’s massive tome demands a huge amount of attention and commitment in a world where attentions are too short and commitment pertains to the things we do to make a living. I’m smitten by Bolaño’s work because he holds many clues for contemporary writers from developing countries. He eschews self-exoticization, finds the humour of daily absurdities, and rejects the staid traditions while at the same time learning from the wisdom of past ages. As a Filipino who, like millions of my countrymen, is at home in the broader world, Bolaño’s life and work resonates with me."

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