An homage to how some places quietly bear witness to our growth and our return home
Writers start out as readers.
I did not dream of becoming a writer as a kid. I only knew I enjoyed spilling secrets in my diary and getting books for Christmas and birthdays. It didn’t matter if the book was 30 or 300 pages. It didn’t matter who wrote it. It didn’t even matter if they were old textbooks from our neighbors who studied in private schools. As long as I was reading, I was happy.
So, when I was fifteen and one of my best friends gifted me a secondhand novel from a new bookshop at Casa Vallejo, I was delighted. Little did I know it would be the start of an even more exciting and colorful journey.
Prologue
The name of the bookshop was “Mount Cloud,” my friend said. I marveled at the logo: three fluffy tendrils shaped like a cloud and a mountain at the same time. It was Christmas of 2011. We didn’t have a television at home, so reading was my number one hobby.
Buying books with my twenty-peso daily allowance was out of the question. So, I didn’t go to Mt Cloud or other stores for books until years later. Thankfully, class libraries were a thing in our high school. We were even allowed to borrow books from other classrooms. That’s how I got to read Jessica Zafra’s Twisted and a couple of titles from Dean Koontz. My classmates and I were also hooked on the Hunger Games trilogy. We tagged each other in the memes and trailers.
And then Wattpad entered the scene. My classmates and I would exchange epubs of Wattpad series via Bluetooth. At lunch, we would chat about theories and our feelings over the latest work by user HaveYouSeenThisGirl (also known as Denny R., the author of hits like Diary ng Panget).
When I found out where to get epubs, I went on a downloading spree. I felt like the whole world (of books) was in the palm of my hand.
Exposition
When I started college, I read three times as many news articles as works of fiction. In between perusing explainers and op-eds, I’d borrow books from my orgmates at the campus paper and debate club. That’s how I got a hold of bestsellers by Paulo Coelho, Haruki Murakami, and John Green.
I also went to Mt Cloud Bookshop at Upper Session Road to browse local books. On the walls, there were signs encouraging customers to read and linger. At the time, the cozy shop was gaining popularity for spotlighting Filipiniana books, especially those by authors from Baguio and Cordillera. There was also a neighboring Cinematheque where I’d watch indie films from around the world for free.
But it wasn’t the same. Org work and schoolwork took up most of my time. I didn’t think seriously about books again until I went through my first major heartbreak and I wanted—rather, needed—to read and write something other than a feature article.
That’s when I thought about Mt Cloud Bookshop’s monthly open mic, Third Monday from the Sun. Third Mondays were such a phenomenon that some guests had to sit on the stairs by the window just to watch. I had been one of those spectators. One of my orgmates prodded me to try reading my love poems in front. But I didn’t have the guts to do that just yet.
The first open mic I joined was a poetry slam with fellows from a national creative writing workshop. I had no idea what a poetry slam was, and all I had were my small, sappy poems. But by some miracle, I made it to the second round! (Fun fact: local spoken word artist Jordan Habbiling took home silver that night.)
Mt Cloud became my favorite haunt after that. I went to book launches, authors’ talks, and more open mics. I grew close with Mt Cloud Bookshop’s “elves” Faye, Novi, and Kabu. There, I also met amazing writers and performers that I am blessed to now call my friends.
I remember how my worldview shifted after listening to a talk by Susan Quimpo, author of the family memoir Subversive Lives. Before that day in 2017, I was one of the millions who believed that the People Power Revolution of 1986 was bloodless. Quimpo explained that the EDSA protest was built on acts of resistance that were violently ended by the dictatorship.
Buildup
After attending and even co-hosting a few more book launches, a new dream formed in my mind’s eye. I wanted to write a book and launch it at Mt Cloud. It was not enough to make a book of my own. I had to have a book launch at my favorite bookshop. That was my vision.
I began editing one of my old works in early 2019. It was originally made for a “big book” project for our children’s literature course. The protagonist, Ayen, was on a mission to find the most beautiful name in the world.
Around this time, Mt Cloud posted an ad for the First Ed Maranan Kid Lit Writing Workshop. The timing could not have been more perfect!
The Ed Maranan Workshop was my first. 2019 was also the year that Mt Cloud Bookshop moved to Yangco Road. They left their one-room shop at Casa Vallejo for a classic two-story Baguio home with green and white paint. The building came with a garage and garden. The outdoor spaces are now used for trade fairs, meetings, and book launches.
The workshop was held on the first floor. I went in blind, wide-eyed, and eager to explore a new realm.
“Si Ayen at ang Pinakamagandang Pangalan” was one of my earliest attempts at writing in Filipino and my very first children’s story.
Our mentors were prize-winning children’s book creators: writers Dang Bagas and Liwliwa Malabed, plus Baguio artist Kora Dandan Albano. From them, I learned to write child characters who were active and multi-dimensional. With advice from our panelists and my co-fellows, I was able to clarify my story’s dialogue and language. I also caught a glimpse of the publishing world when Ma’am Kora talked about royalties and how to choose publishers to work with. I took these lessons to heart.
Peak
Shortly after, my manuscript was accepted by a popular children’s book publisher. My mom was prouder and more pleased than I was when I told her the news.
