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Marga Ortigas has been a journalist for almost 30 years, getting her start in television during the most catastrophic volcanic eruption in recent history - when Mount Pinatubo blew up in the Philippines. Eventually, she moved to London and joined CNN International, covering Europe and the Middle East. This included a year in Iraq and time in Gaza. A decade later, she returned to Asia for Al Jazeera. As the network's Senior Asia Pacific correspondent, she travelled across the region from a base in Manila, handling breaking news, speaking to decisions makers, and meeting those most affected by calamities. She was recognised by the International Committee of the Red Cross for Humanitarian Reporting. Marga was also awarded a British Council scholarship and completed a master's degree in literature in the United Kingdom.
"'The author's fluid writing style and her ability to capture the nuances of Filipino inter-relationships make this novel a riveting and compelling read. It is storytelling at its best.' -Cheche Lázaro, acclaimed Philippine broadcaster and journalism professor 'The House on Calle Sombra is an epic novel that deals with three generations of the Castillo de Montijo family. Like many Filipino families, the family has mixed bloodlines: Spanish, Muslim, surely layers of Malay and Chinese. The chapter headings and some dialogues are done in three languages--English, Spanish, and Filipino--to mirror the country's hybrid cultures. The family's youngest scion is a Tiresias on drugs: a photojournalist covering the Philippines' infamous anti-drug campaign. The epic sweep is told through a brisk prose style and fragmented sentences. At times, these beautiful sentences sound like heartbeats: quick, foretelling the love and doom in these marvellous pages.' -Danton Remoto, Author of Riverrun, A Novel 'It's excellent. The novel is transportive, reminding me of 100 Years of Solitude I have never set foot there, but it made me feel like I knew the Philippines. The author beautifully describes the rich, complex structures of society, and deftly deconstructs the conditionality of religion, social status, a colonial past, and race.' -Dr. Neven Andjelic, journalist, author, and Assistant Professor in International Relations and Human Rights, Regent's University London 'I loved it. The author's keen journalist's eye and deep understanding of the human condition have created a panoply of unforgettable characters and an inescapable world that stays with you long after you turn the last page.' -Cal Perry, Correspondent, NBC News 'A beautifully crafted debut novel from Marga Ortigas. I found The House on Calle Sombra to be a moving and complex family saga layered against the backdrop of fictionalised Philippine history.' -Marc Ocampo, Arts Manager, Arts & Creative Industries, British Council Philippines 'In her first novel, Ortigas takes us on an intimate exploration of the powerful Castillo de Montijo's family history. The novel skilfully weaves together the destiny of the Castillo lineage with the secrets of its past. Thus, unfurling a complex plot where we can trace the origin of the family's fortune deep into the dark pits of its initial motives and ensuing political alliances. In The House on Calle Sombra, a family's fate is set against the destructive power of systemic violence. In our time, this very type of violence is conspicuously representative of nations where the ruling class along with the structures of governance have grown weaker under the ever-expanding influence of organized crime. Perhaps this is Ortigas' greatest literary achievement, a well-earned balance in her portrayal of that mysterious place where the inner and outer narratives of our lives come to intersect.' -Javier Sicilia, Award-winning Mexican poet, novelist, and social activist, founder of the Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity against the crime and violence of Mexico's drug war ""Funny, juicy and sad. Each time I pick up the book it's like being in on a juicy lunch time gossip session about a prominent family--except this one is fictional but feels so real."" --The Manila Times"
