Today we talk about All is Grace, a book by Francisco Tatad, published with our publishing house Europe Books.
Europe Books had the pleasure of interviewing the author Francisco Tatad to get to know him better, what was the moment that led him to the writing of his personal story in his book All is Grace, as well as what sensation he felt when he read his life on the pages of his book.
Below you can find our interview. Take a seat and enjoy your reading!!!
- When did you decide to write your personal story?
All is Grace is the story of a man whose life has no visible rational explanation, except that it happened as it did, in my own time, in my poor beloved country, in my own poor self. Why I wrote it is perhaps more important than when I decided to write it, which was after nearly sixty years of a complex and busy public life, when I found myself free of pressing public duties. It has been a long, wonderful and grace-filled life, despite its share of pain and disappointments, and I thought it belonged to someone else far worthier than I am; the least I could do was to record it faithfully as an act of thanksgiving to the source of this wonderful gift. I also wanted my seven children and eleven grandchildren, my sons-in-law and daughters-in-law, my friends and their friends to read it and to accompany me, if they can, as I journey across time and space into the love and mercy of my Maker.
- What sensation did you feel when ‘reading’ your life on the pages of your book?
The book presents the author as a political and social actor who has lived an interesting political and social public life. But a good friend in Maastricht asked me, after reading it, why did you not mention anything about your private interior life, which after all is really your true life? This has led me to ask myself whether I have, in fact, responded adequately to the title of the book—All Is Grace. Perhaps a second edition of the book is needed to correct this defect.
- What would you like to hear from your readers?
That they learned something from it, no matter how small, despite its defects.
- How was your publishing experience?
My earlier books, mostly on culture and politics, were all published at my own initiative, when I was still in the Cabinet and the Senate. My newspaper columns have remained uncollected. After the local publishing industry constricted, I reached out to Europe Books for my autobiography.
- Are you working on a new writing project you can tell us about?
I have a dystopian novel, The Last Holocaust, in progress. It will have to be published in the Philippines. I am also thinking of doing a modern political biography of the Philippines. Also to be published in the Philippines.
Europe Books thanks the author Francisco Tatad once again for taking the time and answering our questions. We are really pleased to have walked alongside him on the editorial path that led to the publication of his book All is Grace. We wish him the best of luck for his book and for his future works.
To you, my dear reader, I hope this very personal reading will capture your interest and will let you reflect on something useful to apply in your everyday life.
So, my dear reader, all I have to say is to enjoy your reading!
Your editor!