The editorial director of global book publisher Penguin Classics is Filipino-American Elda Rotor.
Based in New York, the 37 year old was hired to be executive editor for the Penguin Classics line in 2006, as she oversaw the publication of Penguin Classics’ first two literary masterpieces going global Jose Rizal’s ”Noli Me Tangere” and Jose Garcia Villa’s “Doveglion: Collected Poems.”
She is also responsible for books written by American and European writers in the Penguin Classics line.
According to Elda: Penguin Classics is already waiting for the translation of Rizal’s “El Filibusterismo” from Harold Augenbraum, who also translated and introduced “Noli Me Tangere” for Penguin Classics. She also reveals that Penguin is reviewing recent Man Asia Literary Prize winner Miguel Syjuco’s novel, “Ilustrado”, for publication!
After graduating cum laude with special honors from the George Washington University with a B. A. in English literature, Elda would then go on to co-found and publish New Digressions, an art and literary magazine that encouraged emerging writers and artists under 30.
Her first publishing job came as an editor at the Oxford University Press. With OUP, she would oversee three well-received series of books: the Seven Deadly Sins, Lives and Legacies, and Very Short Introductions series.
The Seven Deadly Sins was a series that Elda herself originated. Composed of seven short trade books OUP published in collaboration with the New York Public Library (NYPL), the series was written by seven different authors who first presented a lecture about a deadly sin at the NYPL. Some of the authors included in the series are award-winning playwright Wendy Wasserstein, Tibetan Buddhist scholar and father of Uma, Robert Thurman, and even novelist Francine Prose.
“Lives and Legacies was a series I helped develop of short biographies of literary figures, of which I published books on Twain, Faulkner, Eliot and Whitman. The Very Short Introduction is a great OUP series of compact and accessible introductions on a wide variety of topics for the general reader. Among those volumes, I acquired Documentary Film, Mormonism and Kabbalah,” she says.
Even if she grew up in the States, Elda says that she has never lost sight of her Filipino roots. She has made several visits to the Philippines over the years, and has several Filipino authors whose work she admires. Among them are Jose Garcia Villa, F. Sionil Jose and Arturo Rotor.
Her position also provides her with insight as to what the Filipino author needs to break into the international market. Elda also believes that a lot can be done by both the media and the publishing world alike to increase awareness of Philippine literature.
“More exposure is certainly key. Award-winning titles help raise the awareness of Philippine literature in general. Critics, bloggers, journalists, scholars and writers should spread the word, include Philippine works and writers in public discussions, cover them in the media more, especially if they have favorite works to support,” she says. “Publishers should support a more global bookshelf - this rings true with Penguin Classics, as we continue to support world literature, identifying the classics from around the world.”
As for young Filipinos who are not interested in reading the classics, Filipino or otherwise, Elda says that they should give it a try because they might be surprised by what they find.
