Philippines’ First Story Book NFT: The Last Moon by Yvette Tan is Set to Release Today
The Last Moon by Yvette Tan, world’s first non-fungible token (NFT) story book released by a country, will be launching today at OpenSea using the Polygon Network.
By Nath Cajuday
The Last Moon by Yvette Tan, world’s first non-fungible token (NFT) story book released by a country, will be launching today at OpenSea using the Polygon Network. An exclusive set of cover layout was first revealed to BitPinas last Wednesday.
“The Last Moon” is the continuation of the Visayan myth of the Bakunawa, a dragon that swallowed six of the earth’s original seven moons. In this sequel, a human and tikbalang race against time to keep the dragon from finally finishing its task.
It is a book by award-winning author Yvette Tan, who is known as writer of the two books – Waking the Dead and Kaba, based on the mural created by Team Manila Lifestyle’s Jowee Alviar under the creative direction by Erwin Romulo.
Earlier this month, Alviar proudly announced that the Philippines through the National Book Development Board (NBDB) delegation is set to be the first ever country to release a non fungible token (NFT) story book, The Last Moon, at Frankfurt Book Fair (FBF), the oldest and largest book fair in the world, which will be held from October 20 to 24, 2021. (Read more: The Philippines is First to Drop Story Book NFT at the World’s Oldest Book Fair)
The Last Moon will be the highlight of the Philippine’s booth with this year’s theme; Myth, Magic, and the City: Reclaiming the Filipino narrative as it targets to offer a digital program ranging from virtual exhibitions, special presentations, to strong voices on climate stories, epic sagas, to colorful messages of inclusivity and modern twists on Philippine folklore, giving the spotlight on some of the best Filipino creatives.
“So it will be seven book covers based on the parts of the book. The buyers will also get to download the full NFT Story upon purchase,” said Alviar.
It will be the country’s sixth consecutive appearance at the fair, the NBDB brought to Frankfurt the country’s top known publishers, namely: 19th Avenida, Adarna House, Anvil Publishing, Ateneo de Manila University Press, Milfores Publishing, University of the Philippines Press, University of Santo Tomas Publishing House, Komiket, and many others.
“Our presence in the Frankfurt Book Fair is a good opportunity for the Philippines not only to promote our publishing industry in the global arena but also to showcase the world-class talents of our Filipino writers and the gems of Filipino literature, espousing our rich culture and traditions,” House Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda stressed.
On the other hand, the other featured books are:
· “Remains” by Daryll Delgado
· “Dead Balagtas” by Emiliana Kampilan
· “Seven Slippers” by Divine Gil Reyes and Benjor Catindig
· “Janus Silang at ang Tiyanak ng Tabon” by Edgar Calabia Samar
· “Journey of a Thousand Shuttles: The Philippine Weave” by Norma A. Respecio
· “Naimas! The Food Heritage of Ilocos Sur” by Deogracias Victor Savellano and Heny Sison
· “Mga Batang Poz” by Segundo Matias, Jr.
· “You Shall Be As Gods: Anting-anting and the Filipino Quest for Mystical Power” by Dennis Santos Villegas
· “Sigma: Climate Fiction Anthology from the Philippines” edited by Paolo Enrico Melendez and Kristine Ong Muslim and published by Polytechnic University of the Philippines Press.
These books will proudly share Filipino stories depicting the country’s “indigenous and Southeast Asian roots, influences of the West, and the clear, undeniable voice of the young and the contemporary.”
One of the aims of the country in joining this book fair is to be the Guest of Honor (GOH) in FBF 2025, which will be a major feat for the Philippine literary scene as it will greatly benefit the local book publishing industry because the country would be the highlight of the fair.
“We need to sustain this presence and aim to be the Guest of Honor (GOH) country at the FBF 2025, the earliest year available with no designated GOH yet,” Legarda added.
The proceeds of sales of the Story Book NFT, The Last Moon, will be used to donate print copies of “The Last Moon” to the NBDB’s “The Book Nook” project, which aims to provide friendly reading spaces in areas where there is limited access to reading materials and the internet.
Check out The Last Moon on OpenSea: https://opensea.io/collection/thelastmoon
This article is published on BitPinas: Philippines’ First Story Book NFT: The Last Moon by Yvette Tan is Set to Release Today
