ACCLAIMED fictionist and literature professor Cristina Pantoja-Hidalgo is set to launch her latest collection titled “Encantada,” a compilation of her top works.
“Encantada: The Essential Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo” will be released by the University of the Philippines (UP) Press as part of its “Tampok” series, compiling exemplary works by the country’s renowned writers.
“In the mind of the UP Press, these are the writers that are most distinguished,” Hidalgo told the Varsitarian. “And then they decided to highlight the most important works of those writers.”
The compendium will include excerpts from the eminent writer’s novels, short stories, sketches, profiles, travel essays, memoirs, and criticisms.
The title “Encantada” came from Ruth Jordana Pison, the book’s editor, and J. Neil Garcia, a UST journalism alumnus and former director of the UP Press.
“I think the reason they chose that title was because I have written a lot of fairy tales,” Hidalgo said.
The book’s excerpt explains that the word “encantada,” which means delighted or charmed in the English translation, is the word that best describes Hidalgo’s narratives filled with “magic and wonder.”
Pison, Hidalgo’s former student, crafted the selection of her top works included in “Encantada.”
“Ruth chose from among my short stories, novel excerpts from my collections of nonfiction, and my criticism,” Hidalgo said.
“She made the selection and gave it to me for approval. And if I didn’t agree with one or the other, we would discuss it,” she added.
According to Hidalgo, the book will be released this year.
