Writers' Fortnight 2021: Expressing culture through literature

28 May 2021

Your identity belongs to you. It differentiates you from the world and is rooted in your DNA. Yet as beings we identify also with each other, as we find commonalities and found friendships and communities with people with whom we share beliefs and experiences. And that is not all. With the written word, global travel, real-time communication, creative and now digital media, it became possible to extend beyond our own cultures and delve into and embrace world cultures we previously did not know existed.

Literature was the first and is the most powerful channel of communication in existence. Some texts have survived for many hundreds of years and allow us to step back in time and learn about life on Earth from the ones who came before us. Furthermore, through literature, we can gather a better understanding of our own culture today and ensure that our beliefs and traditions are preserved forever.

Budjette Tan, who lives in Denmark, accomplished his dream of publishing a comic book series devoted to his Filipino culture. He is an example of a Filipino writer successfully using literature to express culture through his graphic novels. His comic book series called Trese is a collaboration with artist Kajo Baldisimo. The heroine is Alexandra Trese, a detective who deals with crimes of supernatural origin, protecting Manila when the Police cannot. The award-winning comic has now been adapted by Netflix into an Original anime series to be streamed this year. What was behind Tan’s intentions as he embarked on this creative process? This is his story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Myths and legends involving the spiritual and the supernatural are passed down from generation to generation, and deeply rooted in Filipino history and culture. So Budjette Tan was exposed as a youth to a range of imaginative ideas that he would one day convey through his comics. Young Budjette grew up hearing tales such as the Aswang and the Mananggal allowing him to embrace his Filipino roots. Such figures are widely accepted as truth in Filipino life to the extent that people have taken action to prevent these spirits from entering their homes. Tan explained in an interview with UWCE that he knows people who place garlic in their roof to repel the Manangaal. He went on to say that “When I was younger, I would read the news, and creatures like these would even make headlines.”

Before graduating in 1994, Tan attended a San Diego Comic Convention where he handed out snippets of his own comic work to various illustrators. However, he had little success, yet he persevered and continued to sketch his storylines as he sharpened his craft. Not minding if his stories progressed any further than a few sketches, Tan loved what he did and created more comics like ‘Drag Laces’ and ‘Kidnapping tribe’. This allowed his creativity to thrive. Simultaneously, Tan began to question whether those monsters of his childhood tales are actually real, stemming from the creation of ‘Trese’ in 2005. The Trese series has allowed its readers to engage and delve into the depths of Filipino culture with a crime/horror twist. The publicity surrounding the comic series (and forthcoming Netflix release) gives readers from across the globe access to know, understand, and interpret a different culture. Supernatural creatures rife in Manila have become a new fascination for the next generation. According to goodreads.com, Trese has rated 4.56/5 stars and has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the public. One reviewer from goodreads.com stated, “I cannot say it enough. This is amazing. I love seeing most of the local Philippine folklore I know are on here and it introduced me to new ones too.” Some fans are begging for more of the comics. A user, under the name Jewel, comments that “I find myself wishing that someday, Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo will consider sharing the entire journal. I would love to learn more about the Trese clan.”

From respecting and understanding different customs to preserve historical stories - expressing culture through literature has personal and social benefits. As humans, we are constantly learning. Learning about how the world works and how to become better versions of ourselves. The art of cultural literature allows us to sharpen our roots of identity and give us a sense of belonging. It’s a very personal aspect of your life, and you shan’t be afraid to show it to the world.

Citation
“Trese: Book of Murders by Budjette Tan.” Goodreads, Goodreads, www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/20317213-trese.