Nick Joaquín

Joaquín, Nick 

Born 1917 in Manila. Philippine writer and journalist; writes in English.

In the 1940’s, Joaquín studied at St. Albert’s College in Hong Kong. He decided not to devote his life to the church, however, and became a journalist. Joaquín began publishing in 1937. He gained popularity in 1952 with the publication of his collection Prose and Poetry. His short stories and poems are notable for their psychological insight and profound philosophy. Joaquín published the play A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino in 1950 and the novel The Woman Who Had Two Navels, in 1961. Both these works express nostalgia for the Spanish past of the Philippines; by glorifying the past, Joaquín criticizes the present.

On the whole, Joaquín writes in a realistic style; nevertheless, he also uses stream-of-consciousness techniques. In numerous essays he opposes the pointless imitation of Western (mainly American) models and defends the originality and independence of Philippine culture. Joaquín has translated poems by J. Rizal.

WORKS

La Naval de Manila and Other Essays. Manila, 1964.
In Russian translation:
In Filippinskie novelly. Alma-Ata, 1973.
In Sovremennaia filippinskaia poeziia. Moscow, 1974.

REFERENCES

Casper, L. “Nick Joaquín.” In his book The Wounded Diamond. Manila, 1964.
Philippine Fiction. Edited by J. Galdon. Quezon City [1972].

I. V. PODBEREZSKII