Tinalunay is what Waray students and scholars have been wishing for. This anthology will make Leyte-Samar readers proud of their enduring literary artistry: from the “lost” epics of the early inhabitants of Leyte-Samar to the lyrics and narratives of contemporary Waray writers, from the puplonganon and karantahon of the folk to the traditional poems of the Sanghiran writers, and from the songs of the revolutionary movement to the visual poetry and formal experimentation of today’s young writers. This will certainly be the go-to source for Waray writing and poetics.

—Nino Soria de Veyra

Waray poet and literary critic, UP-Mindanao, Davao City

 Once again, multi-awarded poet and scholar, Merlie Alunan, brings us groundbreaking work, weaving into one book a crucial history and scholarship, literary translation, and critical anthology of literature from the Eastern Visayas region. The works go as far back as “antiquity,” with folklore from oral tradition and the earliest documented epics (1600s), and ends with samples from contemporary Waray literature. The diversity in form and subject matter, as well as languages used; the wide range and unique employment of metaphors and symbols; the cultural practices evoked and colorful responses to the times which these works in Tinalunay make available, should offer more than a glimpse into the soul of this region. More than just a legacy for and of the Waray people, this book is a significant contribution to our country’s literature, and a gift to those who study it.

—Daryll Jane S. Delgado, Award-winning fictionist and poet in Waray