A Child of Sorrow

Zoilo Galang (1895-1959) was a Filipino novelist and folklorist. Born in Bacolor, Pampanga, Galang was raised toward the end of Spanish rule and the beginning of the American colonial era. Educated at Pampanga High School, he became a stenographer and pursued a law degree, likely without finishing. In 1921, he published three groundbreaking works of Filipino literature written in English, each the first of their kind in history: A Child of Sorrow, a novel; Tales of the Philippines, a collection of legends and folktales; and Life and Success, a collection of essays. Throughout his career, Zoilo wrote history books for elementary school students, supervised the publication of a twenty-volume encyclopedia on the Philippines, and published the first Filipino short story collection written in English.