The Collected Stories of Jessica Zafra

Jessica is a natural short story writer, and I don’t know anyone else in the Philippines writing in English who does it as well as she does. The fact that she’s a Filipina couldn’t matter less. She would be recognised anywhere on earth that good English is read. But of course in this fatuous world the unmerited hegemony of “English” literature (including of course American, Canadian, Australian, etc. etc.) reminds us that it still fancies itself as the arbiter of the Real Thing. But plenty of us round-eyes know that’s baloney, and JZ provides us with ammunition to stand up in public and say so.

– James Hamilton-Paterson

• Jessica Zafra, Author

  Jessica Zafra has written two collections of short stories, as well as a dozen collections of essays on film, literature, travel, rock music, popular culture and current affairs. She has received Palanca Awards for her short stories, and the National Book Award for her collection of essays.
  
  Her essays have also appeared in the New Yorker and Newsweek. She was editor-in-chief of Flip: The Official Guide to World Domination, and Manila Envelope. She conducts writing workshops, hosts a monthly book club and does a podcast called Podcats.
  Her essays have also appeared in the New Yorker and Newsweek. She was editor-in-chief of Flip: The Official Guide to World Domination, and Manila Envelope. She conducts writing workshops, hosts a monthly book club and does a podcast called Podcats.