The Woman Who Had Two Navels and Tales of the Tropical Gothic

Nominated by the Embassy of the Philippines

Nick Joaquin is one of the greatest Filipino writers, yet remains little-known outside the Philippines. Set in post-World War II Manila, his stories explore the struggles and hopes of a newly independent nation. Blending folklore, Catholic rites, Spanish colonial history, and magical realism, his work examines the Filipino individual’s search for identity.

This collection features his best-known story, The Woman Who Had Two Navels, along with the acclaimed tales May Day Eve, The Summer Solstice, and the play A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino. With this first American collection, Joaquin reaches new readers, joining other Filipino classics brought to a global audience by Penguin Classics.