Beauty queen and now published author Pia Wurtzbach called on her followers and fans to support Filipino writers following the release of her debut novel.
Pia, who won the Miss Universe title in 2015, launched her book “Queen of the Universe” during the Manila International Book Fair at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City on September 14.
The novel tells the story of Cleo, a frustrated model and actress who plans to join a beauty pageant to achieve her dreams and impress her estranged father. Pia said that while she used her life story as inspiration for Cleo, “Queen of the Universe” is not an autobiography.
READ: Pia Wurtzbach launches her first novel ‘Queen of the Universe’ | Philstar.com
“Kapag binasa niyo siya, mapapansin niyo na it sounds so familiar. But then, ginawa pa natin mas drama here and there, mas may nangyayari, spicer… as you go through the chapters you will see that she goes through her own journey,” Pia said at the launch.
On Sunday, September 17, Pia took to Instagram to express her gratitude to the people who supported her endeavor as a writer.
Pia wrote: “I am so overwhelmed by all the love you’ve shown for “Queen of the Universe.” Honestly, I was nervous as the Manila International Book Fair was drawing closer…but seeing all your tags, stories, posts and reels (some of you even quote words from the book) got me sooo KILIG!”
Pia added that she thought her book project would not longer push through and that it encountered “many setbacks.”
“But here we are now,” she said. “Dreams do come true.”
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She then urged her over 14 million followers on Instagram to support artists—particularly local writers. The experience of writing “Queen of the Universe,” Pia explained, made her realize the hard work needed to produce a book.
“And #printisnotdead. Reading will never be passé. I want to take this opportunity to say, let’s support authors and novelists, especially Filipino writers. Now I know how much ‘blood, sweat and tears’ there is to produce and get a book out there,” she wrote.
“Let’s continue to write stories that will allow us to express and learn about ourselves. Let’s continue to read so that we too can learn about other people’s struggles and strengths.”
Pia ended her post with a call: “Please buy a book and share with a friend, so that we can continue writing and printing books for many years to come.”
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Pia announced the publication of her book earlier this year.
During the launch of her novel at the Manila International Book Fair, Pia revealed writing a book was among her goals after winning the Miss Universe crown.
Released by Tuttle Publishing, “Queen of the Universe” is available in the Philippines and will be available internationally in November. — Chuck Smith
