In the face of increased screen time and digital domination, Kwago offers a return to (physical) form.
Proposing a short respite from digital domination, Manila-based independent bookstore and publishing lab Kwago will host the AFK Book Fair, a no-phones-allowed gathering at the Molito Lifestyle Center in Alabang.
Co-opting the internet acronym AFK (Away From Keyboard), the event is a two-day gathering of local creative communities. Fairgoers are encouraged to engage with art, storytelling, print, indie publishing and open discourse—all without any phones allowed, letting people rediscover themselves away from the screen.
Since its inception as an independent publishing house in 2017, Kwago has grown into a non-profit organization that nourishes creative labor and critical thinking.
At AFK, Kwago will gather writers, artists, publishing houses, small book stores, and people’s organizations to sell their products and promote their work. The fair presents a chance for these creatives to display their artistry away from the confines of cyberspace.
In addition to merchant booths, there will be a variety of programs and activities across the two-day event.
Kwago will partner with SSPACE for a pop-up book bar and café that will be serving literature-inspired drinks. Poets and musicians will perform their pieces and host open jam sessions. There will also be art workshops, interactive exhibits, and open forum conversations on different aspects of cultural work. Lastly, Kwago will also set up the Bawal Mag-Move On Library, dedicated to preserving history in the face of revisionism.
The AFK Book Fair will be held at the Molito Lifestyle Center in Alabang on September 17 to 18, 2022, from 10am to 10pm. Door fees are PHP200 for regular fairgoers and PHP100 for kids and students. For more inquiries, please contact Mara Fabella at +639772835103 or tindigkwago@gmail.com. You may also visit the fair’s official event page.
