The and That Was

”…Mia Tijam’s fiction mixes daily life with divine imagination to render dark, weird, and beautiful stories. A unique vision. Don’t miss this one.”

–Jeffrey Ford, Shirley Jackson Award, Nebula Award, and World Fantasy Award-winning author

“Absolutely wonderful … a luminous debut that announces the arrival of a major voice… Tijam is a writer of uncommon power, insight and humanity.”

–Junot Diaz, author of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize and National Book Critics Award-winning, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

“Mia Tijam’s stories come from a place of memory and study that reminds Filipino readers of who and what we are; and more, it introduces non-Filipino readers to the hidden psyche of our culture. Her voice is proudly of the Philippines, and her type of speculative fiction does not shirk from telling her tales in a distinct voice and language, unafraid to touch on subjects that may be challenging and difficult.”

–Kenneth Yu, publisher of Philippine Genre Stories and author of Mouths to Speak, Voices to Sing and The Greatest Fight of Sunny Granada and Other Stories

Mia Tijam studied European languages, philosophy, literary theory, creative writing, and comparative literature at the University of the Philippines, Diliman. She was a fellow at the Silliman University National Writers Workshop and the 2024 Women’s Annual Writing Workshop.

Mia has published poetry, nonfiction, and short fiction, and her work has received awards and critical recognition. She served as co-editor of the virtual anthology Philippine Speculative Fiction Sampler and as editor for the Special Section for PWDs and PADs of the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Literary Journal ANI 41: LAKBAY. She also co-edited the CCP’s tribute to cultural workers lost during the pandemic, “Hanggang sa Muli: Pagpupugay at Pasasalamat sa mga Pumanaw,” and was an editor for Philippine Genre Stories. Mia has judged literary competitions, including the Istoryang Rinconada: Literary and Visual Art Competition and the Saranggola Awards, and served as a category judge for Bikol translation in the National Book Awards.

Her debut short fiction collection, Flowers for Thursday, published by Ateneo de Naga University Press, was a finalist in the 40th National Book Awards. The bilingual second edition, published in 2024, is the first English-Rinconada short fiction book in Philippine literature. Mia has been recognized as a significant contributor to the advancement of Philippine Speculative Fiction through her writing and editing.

Rustom Pujado is a self-taught illustrator, painter, and animator. Intrigued by the stories of mundane objects, he uses them as his medium and theme, channeling his creativity in an uninhibited manner. He weaves together influences from various artists and cultures, continuously exploring the world of art.

Beyond his personal work, Rustom has collaborated with notable Filipino artists such as Jun Sabayton, Romeo Lee, and Louie Cordero. His artistic journey is an ongoing evolution as he explores new media and narratives that challenge the boundaries between art, object, and story.