The National Book Development Board (NBDB) and the Filipino Critics Circle (FCC) have announced the finalists of the 43rd Annual National Book Awards (NBA), which honors the most outstanding books written, designed, and published in the Philippines.

For the 43rd cycle, 139 titles were chosen as finalists out of a total of 385 titles submitted. The 385 titles is deemed a milestone since it represents an 80-percent increase from the 213 submitted four cycles earlier. This could signal that more books are being produced in the country, which is a healthy sign for the local book publishing industry.

The finalists are in 30 categories, with titles written in four (4) languages: English, Filipino, Hiligaynon, and Kinaray-a.

Now in its 43rd edition, the National Book Awards honors books across several categories, from fiction and non-fiction such as poetry, graphic novel and comics, translation, science, philosophy, history, humor, sports and lifestyle, spirituality and theology, art, food, design, journalism, and business, to name a few.

For the NBDB, which has been co-administering the awards since 2008 with the Filipino Critics Circle, the NBA represents the health and the direction the local book publishing industry will take.

“The finalists and their literary creations show that Filipino writers and publishers continue to raise the bar for the Philippine book publishing industry,” notes Charisse Aquino-Tugade, NBDB Executive Director.

The National Book Awards and the Filipino Critics Circle continue to actively support the book sector, while sustaining the credibility of the awards for over four decades now, together with the independent judgment of critics, scholars, and writers.

The awarding of the winners of the 43rd National Book Awards will be held in early 2026. For the complete list of finalists, go to the NBDB website, https://books.gov.ph, or follow the NBDB through its social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X.