Books Across Borders

Coverage of translated literature, international publishing, and literary exchange by Fidessa.

Ann van Wijgerden holds the original kingfisher and forest artwork by Tara Soriano created for the cover of her poetry collection Dear Planet.

Becoming Part of the Story: Ann van Wijgerden on Poetry, Nature and Belonging in the Philippines

From Tondo to the green hills of Antipolo, Ann van Wijgerden’s life in the Philippines changed the way she understood poetry, nature and belonging. In the final part of The Long Attention, she reflects on the living world behind Dear Planet and the realization that she was never simply an observer.

Mye Mulingtapang

Ann van Wijgerden and Paul van Wijgerden standing together wearing matching black Young Focus shirts.

Where the Bridge Crosses the River: Ann van Wijgerden’s Life in Tondo

In Tondo, Ann van Wijgerden learned to look beyond poverty without romanticizing resilience. Nearly two decades of friendships, creativity, generosity and injustice would ultimately reshape both her poetry and her understanding of what it means to belong.

In The Mix Magazine

The Long Attention: Ann van Wijgerden Finds Poetry Between Tondo and the Forest

For over forty years, Ann van Wijgerden has written poems shaped by memory, migration, grief, and hope. In Dear Planet, those decades of writing come together in a collection inspired by life in England, the Netherlands, and the Philippines. Through communities in Tondo, the forests of Antipolo, and a lifelong commitment to listening, she explores how poetry becomes an act of attention, compassion, and shared humanity.