National Artist for Literature F. Sionil Jose. Image lifted from his Facebook page
MANILA, Philippines — The Solidaridad Bookshop, which was owned by National Artist for Literature Francisco Sionil José, is now on the market, a report said.
The information was revealed by one of José’s children, Antonio “Tonet” José, based on a Saturday story by The Varsitarian, the official student publication of the University of Santo Tomas.
“Yes, we are selling it. We would like that whoever buys it, will continue Solidaridad Bookshop,” Antonio said as quoted by The Varsitarian.
José’s bookstore on Padre Faura Street in Ermita, Manila, opened in June 1965 and will be 60 years old this year.
In 2016, José himself revealed that the establishment—where the bookstore stands—was owned by his in-laws.
According to an Inquirer lifestyle story released the same year, the establishment’s ground floor houses José’s bookshop, which had become famous throughout Asia for its variety of A-list books, both classic and contemporary, including limited editions.
The second level is the office, while the third is a family space.
READ: The little shop of honors
The bookstore was named after the Philippine’s propaganda movement organization and its namesake biweekly newspaper. It also became the headquarters of the Philippine Center of International PEN (Poets, Essayists, Novelists), which José founded in 1957.
On January 6, 2022, the national artist died in his sleep, at the age of 97.
READ: National Artist for Literature F. Sionil Jose dies at 97
Jose was known as one of the most widely read Filipino authors in the English language, with works that have been translated into 28 different languages.
Jose’s works won the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature in five separate years and received recognition from award-giving bodies, which include the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Centennial Award in 1999, France’s Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres in 2000, as well as the Pablo Neruda Centennial Award in Chile in 2004.
The Philippine government then bestowed upon Jose the title of National Artist for Literature in 2001, for his outstanding contributions to Philippine literature. /jpv