ONE morning in Malaysia six years ago, I received a phone call from the publisher of Penguin Random House Southeast Asia. It was a brief call, and she asked if I would be interested in translating three Tagalog novels for the Southeast Asian Literary Classics series.

She ticked off the titles: 'Banaag at Sikat' by Lope Santos, 'Mga Ibong Mandaragit' and 'Luha ng Buwaya' by National Artist Amado Hernandez. I said I had read all three novels as part of the list required for my M.A. in Literature at Ateneo de Manila University. I asked why me? 'Because we have done due diligence, and our contacts in Manila said your translations are readable, breezy — and sellable.'