PAWN PRESS

We're opening pre-orders for @alden.arsen 's debut poetry collection, Sigay and Other Poems. Pre-order price is P350. Regular price is 400. Please visit pawnpressbooks.com/sigay ________________________________________ The official book launch will be on the first Sunday of June at @lostbookscebu more details to follow.

We’re pleased to announce the upcoming release of Alden Arsen’s debut poetry collection, 'Sigay and Other Poems', set to be published at the end of May. In this collection, Arsen introduces a distinct and warmly resonant voice to the Cebuano literary scene—one marked by tenderness, restraint, and an undercurrent of longing. Moving through themes of motherhood, memory, distance, and the fragile intimacies of everyday life, the poems trace emotional landscapes that feel both deeply personal and widely familiar. More details will be announced soon. #CebuanoLiterature #Poetry

Our first encounter with Cesar Ruiz Aquino’s work was through a friend who, at the time, was attending the Silliman Writers Workshop and introduced his writing to us. We were immediately hooked. We felt at home with his work, because these are exactly the kinds of texts we gravitate toward—the kind that are serious in their being unserious, playful yet precise, intimate but never indulgent. These are poems that make you sigh and swoon, and then, almost quietly, ask you to think. Cesar’s writing carries a rare balance of wit and ache, tenderness and intelligence; it is language that feels lived-in, reflective, and deeply aware of time, memory, and the self. A few years ago, we finally got the courage to express our admiration online and sent him a message asking if he would be interested in releasing a book under Pawn Press. Luckily for us, he said yes. That book became Z for Short. Z for Short is, in many ways, Sir Sawi’s crowning glory—part long poem, part meditation, part autobiographical novel in disguise. It is a book that resists easy classification, which is often the mark of work that truly matters. We were proud not only to publish it, but to be among its first readers. We launched it during the pandemic, online, via Zoom, and in the spirit of Pawn Press—where we do only limited runs—we released just fifty copies. Last year, we messaged him again to ask if he would be interested in a second run of Z for Short. He told us he wasn’t, because the book had another destiny: a larger publication was going to officially pick it up. And we couldn’t have been happier. It was finally going to receive the wider spotlight it deserved. But while Z for Short moved on to its next life, Sir Sawi told us he had another body of work he wanted to release—an omnibus of his poetry, from his earliest writings to his more recent ones—and he wanted Pawn Press to publish it. Naturally, we gave a resounding yes.

Join us for the book launch of César Ruiz Aquino's "Shadow of the Wind" on January 31, Saturday, at 4pm at LibrAria Books @adcdumaguete 📚 This event is made possible by @pawnpress @libraria.ph and the Edilberto & Edith Tiempo Creative Writing Center See you!

First look at Cesar Ruiz Aquino's poetry collection, 'Shadow of the Wind' (121 Poems Chosen by the Author). We can't wait to share this with you. Available at your favorite independent bookstores soon! 🙌🏼 Details to follow.

Dess Balota's poetry collection, 'On the Birthdate of the Steelborn' is finally here. The book will be officially launched at @palmgrasshotel on Sunday, September 28 at 3PM during WILA Women in Literary Arts' 34th year anniversary. We hope to see you!

Dess Balota's poetry collection, 'on the birthdate of the steelborn' will be officially out on September 28. Follow this link to reserve a copy: 🔗 pawnpressbooks.com/dess-preorder

Hala nahulog!! Oops teka kalma lang guys. Two lines ang ato linya. See you later at @cebuabf . Here are the list of titles we will be bringing this afternoon: - SUWA: Labing Masaarong Bag-ong Magsusulat Sa Bisaya (2005-2015) [E.S. Godin, Richel Dorotan] - SAYAWSAYAWA (10th Year reissue) [Libya Montes, Summer Veins] - SURUMAWA [John Dante] - Elsewhere, Elsewhen. [Rae JP] - Mubong Kurso sa Pagsulat og Sugilanon [Omar Khalid] - Mga Tipaka nga Napusgay sa Bituon [Michael S. Florentino] - Muddas [Gratian Paul Tidor] - Awit sa Atabay [Lilia S. Tio] - Intimations of Mortality [Anthony L. Tan] - DISPOP #1 [Libya Montes, Rae JP]

Ania ang lista sa mga libro 📚 nga ilusad gikan sa @pawnpress ug @bathalad karong Sabado ug Domingo (Sept 6, 5:30PM ug Sept 7, 12:30PM) sa Cebu Art Book Fair 2025 (ig: @cebuabf ). Ang venue ipahigayon sa UP Cebu - Lawak Sinehan 🏣. Ang programa bukas ug libre alang sa publiko. Adunay gamayng talks, Q&A, reading, ug signing gikan sa mga awtor ug editors. Kitakits! 👌🙏

attention! ⚠️we just dropped these super limited copies of POSTCRUDE vol 1 & 2 at @lostbookscebu . originally released in 2018 and 2022, respectively, these rare postcard books feature your favorite local artists' works. go grab it before it runs out.

Inviting you all to this FREE zine-making workshop this Saturday, September 14 at Joya Gallery (@joyagallery.upc ), University of the Philippines - Cebu (@upcebuofficial ). Workshop starts at 1PM. This workshop is brought to you by @andres.sugbo in partnership with Drawing Class Foundation (@drawingclassfoundation ) and Palihang Neil Doloricon (@palihangneildoloricon ). See you!

🚨🚨Latest Updates: Final venue for our fundraiser event this Saturday will be at Cebu Making Space, 3rd Floor Mango Square Mall, Cebu City. We will be showcasing Palestinian 🇵🇸🍉 short films, simultaneous with live score/ DJ sets. Event starts at 8pm. All proceeds will go to FriendsofPMRS.org. We are very grateful to @cebumakingspace / @makersofmidtown for accomodating us with our last minute request for venue. Featured films: In Vitro (27 mins), Bonboné (16 mins), Ave Maria (15 mins), Like Twenty Impossibles (16 mins), Palestine Underground (28 mins), The Present (24 mins), Fatenah (30 mins), Maradonna's Legs (24 mins) DJ sets/Live score: @_jsqlrd , @flaneur.cult , @futureteenager , @libyamontes and @shameaboutrae Your presence and contribution, no matter how small it is, will send ripples thousands of miles across continents and seas; an entire nation 🇵🇸 deprived of their home and homeland. The Palestinian poet, Mahmoud Darwish wrote, "as you think of others far away, think of yourself (say: If only I were a candle in the dark).” Let us hope that we may all offer a little light. #freepalestine #fundraiser #ceasefirenow @sincerelyyours.6000 @ahka.space