
With the theme “The Pressing Issue: Sustainable Business amid ASEAN Integration,” the festival aims to ready the local book publishing industry in time for the integration of ASEAN countries into a single market. A book publishing industry roadmap is being prepared and during the event, the state of the Philippine book industry will be reported.

NBDB has always envisioned a globally competitive book publishing industry for the Philippines. This festival promotes locally published books and talent, and provides a venue for deeper engagement among stakeholders. It will tackle many facets of book publishing, including issues that stakeholders currently face: best practices, alternative publishing models, a writer's career, rights management, and readership, among others.
Leading local and foreign industry practitioners will be present to share their experiences and insights. Among them are Eric Huang, Development Director at Made in Me, an award-winning digital agency in London specialising in children's entertainment and brand development; Linda Tan Lingard, managing partner of Yusof Gajah Lingard Literary Agency in Malaysia; Robert Henley, writer and Director at the Writing Program at Yale-NUS College in Singapore; and Noelle de Jesus, Filipino writer and editor based in Singapore.
The literary festival and book industry summit is organised by NBDB in partnership with Yabang Pinoy, Aklatan and Filipino ReaderCon.