Instituto Cervantes de Manila will host the presentation of Mosai-KO: Quince relatos del barrio de El Raval on 19 August at 5 p.m. at its Intramuros branch. The collection brings together short stories by fourteen writers aged 11 to 24 from Barcelona’s vibrant Filipino community.

More than a collection of fiction, Mosai-KO takes readers on a walking tour through the heart of Barcelona’s El Raval neighborhood, leading them beyond the tourist attractions and into its lesser-known corners, alleys and public plazas. The book captures the resilience and continuing formation of the local Filipino diaspora, presenting the neighborhood as both a refuge and a place of hope.

The 14 young authors — Benjamin Elaydo, Charmae Llagas Caiga, Eduard Caringal, James Daniel Pangilinan, Jomari Chavez Edangalino, Jynwell Maloles, Jyrelle Marie Gonzales de Chavez, Kara Dumpit, Katrina Nicole Oamil, Khendie Rei Dumpit, Kiara Ordinario, Nelissa Aina Tubon Tojon, Patricia Jane Chipongian and Yven Marie Enoserio Dalisay — are active members of the Kudyapi Choir, named after the traditional Filipino lute. Blending their Filipino heritage with their upbringing in Spain, these second-generation youths serve as a bridge between the two countries, using literature to assert their voices, identities and place in the world. With a prologue by Karessa Malaya and an epilogue by Nats Sisma Villaluna, the anthology reflects the vitality of the Filipino diaspora across Europe. As Villaluna writes in the closing pages, “words become the notes that never fade, remaining long after the choir has left the stage.”

Attendees are encouraged to register in advance at https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/HvRT6MjHZQ.

The event is presented by Instituto Cervantes in collaboration with the Embassy of Spain in the Philippines, the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation and the Intramuros Administration.

Admission is free and open to the public and members of the press.