An embarrassment of riches

by Charlson Ong

On the Victorianas, a Pacific island west of the Philippines, the dictator, Gerneral Azurin, has just died. Elections have been called. Jeffrey Kennedy Tantivo, in self-exile in the Philippines, is summoned home by Jennifer Suarez Sy, daughter and heiress to the island nation's richest tycoon. Jennifer is running for President and she wants Jeffrey to help her run her campaign.

Genres: Fiction

427 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2000

About the author

Charlson L. Ong , resident fellow of the Institute of Creative Writing and fictionist/scriptwriter/singer extraordinaire, was born on July 6, 1960. He obtained an A.B. in Psychology from the University of the Philippines in 1977, and currently teaches literature and creative writing under UP's Department of English and Comparative Literature. He has joined several writers' workshops here and abroad, and has acquired numerous grants and awards for his fiction, including the Palanca, Free Press, Graphic, Asiaweek, National Book Award, and the Dr. Jose P. Rizal Award for Excellence. His novel, Embarrassment of Riches published by UP Press in 2002, won the Centennial Literary Prize. In addition to this, Ong has served as co-editor of the Likhaan Book of Poetry and Fiction
His short stories range from parodies of well-loved Filipino texts to insightful treatments of Chinese-Filipino culture. These have been collected into Men of the East and Other Stories (1990 and 1999), Woman of Am-Kaw and Other Stories (1993) and Conversion and Other Fictions (1996). His second novel is due for publication this year.