By Cat Aquino
Prayer, blessings and dancing marked the launch of Wild Song, Filipino author Candy Gourlay’s latest book, at the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) in London on 28 February.
In 1904, Americans took Igorots to the World’s Fair in St. Louis and put them on display as living exhibits. In 2023 — almost 120 years later— Wild Song by Filipino author Candy Gourlay retells their story to remember the injustices the Igorots endured and reclaim pride in the cultures America wanted to erase. Wild Song works as a standalone young adult book and a sequel to the Carnegie Medal- and Costa Award-shortlisted Bone Talk and is published by David Fickling Books.
Wild Song follows Luki, a brave, teenage Bontok girl who longs to be a warrior. When the ancients try to make her marry her best friend, she joins the World’s Fair to go on her own adventure. But there, Luki realises that the people at the Fair don’t see her and her fellow Igorots as human beings, but as animals for America’s entertainment. Luki must now somehow fight to defend her and her people’s dignity.
The Bookseller has already made Wild Song its March 2023 Book of the Month, hailing it as a “stunning achievement”. The Telegraph praised it for its “simple, lyrical storytelling,” while The Times named it Children’s Book of the Week of February 28, 2023 and described it as a “shocking, refreshingly different coming-of-age story” that takes colonialism, racism, and sexism head on.
During the book launch, some 25 young Igorot-UK charity members led by Mark Sapaen Watan (whose ancestor was at the World’s Fair) sang the Salidumay prayer with the audience and danced in traditional dress to celebrate Wild Song’s publication, hoping that the book would honour Igorot cultures and Igorot ancestors.
At the launch, Ms Gourlay told guests — especially the Igorot kids and teens present — about the true cruel history behind the Philippine-American War and American colonial period, with real pictures and details about how the United States saw Filipinos and indigenous peoples as backwards and in need of civilisation. She also spoke about how cathartic researching and writing Wild Song was, as she discovered stories and facts about Philippine history that she never learned while in school. Ms Gourlay explained that she hoped to empower readers by bringing these truths to them too.
“Wild Song is a cracking adventure with heart, authenticity and love which is exactly how it felt to be at the launch,” tweeted Louise Johns Shepherd, chief executive of CLPE, who attended the book launch.
Wild Song’s launch ended with final words from Watan and Igorot-UK on the importance of reclaiming Igorot identities through art and stories in the face of prejudice from the West (and even fellow Filipinos in the mainland and the diaspora). Watan expressed hope in fellow Igorots “finding courage to move past shame, towards pride” and reminded readers to “learn about your own cultures—or someone else is going to tell you, and you won’t like it.” Wild Song aims to do just this for Igorot and Filipino kids and teens like Luki, who need to appreciate who they are and the cultures and memories they’re inheriting.
Wild Song is published by David Fickling Books and is available in bookstores now.
About the author
Cat Aquino is an author, teacher, and researcher of children’s and young adult literature born and raised in Manila and currently based in London. Champion of the Rose, her young adult graphic novel/manga series co-created with Dominique Duran, will be published by VIZ Media in 2024. She received the 2022 Otherwise Award Fellowship for excellence in writing gender in speculative fiction, and her stories have been published by Goethe-Institut Finland’s DRIN Project for Children’s Literature, Strange Horizons, and other presses. You can find her at cataquino.net.
