The Philippines was devastated close to a year ago by the strongest storm ever to make landfall, which obliterated whole towns and reminded the world about a possible common future for everyone, without action today.

Join us IPS’ Climate Policy Program, Sierra Club, and Oil Change International and Busboys & Poets for the U.S. book launch of Agam: Filipino Narratives on Uncertainty and Climate Change, as we share in flowers from the rubble — from the ground, stories of pain, defiance and hope — the same elements that brought 400,000 of us weeks ago to the biggest people’s march on climate change in US history. This will be an evening of solidarity, mesmerizing images and readings.

Agam represents story-telling at its best, composed of original creative narratives by 24 Filipino writers, minus the crutch of scientific and NGO jargon. Works were submitted in the languages of Tagalog, Waray, Maguindanao, Ilocano, Bisaya, Sinama and English, in response to images taken by the elusive photojournalist Jose Enrique Soriano. Agam contributors include distinguished poets such as Dean of Columbia School of Journalism Shiela Coronel, Merlinda Bobis, Ramon C. Sunico and Padmapani Perez, UP Diliman Chancellor Dr. Michael Tan, and anthropologist Arnold Azurin.

The evening’s book presentation will by contributor Renato Redentor Constantino, Executive Director of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities in the Phillipines and will include visually poetic images. Don’t miss what will be much more than your average book talk.