Pinoy Top Thinkers Today (2010)

Copyright © 2010 by Chester B Cabalza. All Rights Reserved.

I have the honor to present my gallery of best and brightest intellectuals in the Philippines, whose views and ideas, are blazingly scorching as the recent el niño phenomenon, stalwartly smashing as supertyphoons to come, have seismic repercussions of a raging volcano, but refreshing as our first nationwide automated presidential elections.

Thus, a new dawn unfolds in our history today with the proclamation of president-elect Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III and Vice President-elect Jejomar Binay.

This personal roster of scholars, now on my third year of paying tribute to top Filipino thinkers, (the lists of previous distinguished thinkers in 2008 and 2009 are still available at http://cbclawmatters.blogspot.com) was inspired by the annual top 100 public intellectuals of the powerful Foreign Policy (FP) Magazine.

The objective of this yearly honor roll affirms my proposition that the Filipino intelligence has a league of its own. This is a time to recognize few of our contemporary and influential scholars. To further bring cognizance among netizens in the cyberspace an elite pool of top brass thinking Filipinos.

You might argue why some of your Pinoy darling cerebral figures are not included in this year’s roster despite of their achievements over the years. However, I must write here that perhaps most of them were already part in my previous rankings for the past two years. Albeit, very few of them has had the opportunity to be repeatedly cited in the said list; perhaps their thoughts and voices are undoubtedly significant now, and are becoming stronger in the coming years, or maybe just because our land is so blessed with bands of smart people.

The same measure is used on this year’s best thinkers, instrumental from my previous citations in 2008 and 2009 – i.e., based from a mixture of articles, books, blogs, columns, essays, interviews, lectures, overviews, poems, prose, publications, and research papers, they pen or written about them. A variety of comments and thoughts from popular mediums such as boobtube and youtube, social networking, campaigns, conferences, forums, speeches, print media, internet sources, and other significant academic distinctions. Lastly, I also based it from their professional, public, civic achievements, and perceptions that made them who they are today as the leading Filipino thinkers!

This year’s pool of thinkers is special to me because majority in my list are academics – mostly in the field of economics, political science, law, anthropology, comparative literature, business administration, journalism, and geology. However, some of brightest personalities in the business community are still regarded this year. But unlike in 2008 where policy-makers, diplomats, and scholars ruled the list; the succeeding year was mainly dominated by seasoned politicians, environmentalists, entrepreneurs, entertainers, philanthropists, and sportsman. In 2010, I also included legitimate and duly-elected president and vice president, and an outgoing president turned representative. But artists will always have a place in my listing, thus, giving a soul in the company of great thinkers each year.

Once again let’s adulate the movers and shakers in this year of the tiger whose beautiful minds are either idolized or scorned but certainly can make wave through the battle of ideas that truly shape our distinct Filipino society and the world we live in as well.

Surnames in the list are in alphabetical order. This is not a ranking from highest to lowest. But the names appear here are equally as powerful as the one from top to bottom.

Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III (president-elect of the Philippines) – his legion of supporters has now spoken. Almost half of the Filipino voting population favored him. His character destined him on top. For six years starting from June 30, (hopefully without fortuitous event), his policies will impact on us, as the 15th president of our beloved country Philippines. I voted for him despite of insurmountable mudslinging and negative campaigning. However, is history reversing its tide? Remember that his father was a key opposition senator during a Marcos dictatorial regime, but now under his administration, a young senator-elect and future presidential contender Bongbong Marcos will probably form part the opposition bloc. Twist of fate? The president-elect Noynoy Aquino is the People’s president according to a top newspaper publication, but he must learn to survive political shenanigans and legal impediments from an ex-president vying for speakership, a well-loved former president of the masses whom he thought should not be pardoned, the wife and son of an erstwhile tyrant president both elected in a bicameral Congress, a wealthy defeated presidential candidate who is back in the Senate to reclaim a senate presidency, a newly-appointed but unlikely chief justice from the previous administration, and young idealistic cavaliers who might stage coup attempts. The country's first and only bachelor president must recruit the best and brightest young technocrats and civil servants and not just recycle old faces from previous administrations – (give chance to others to prove their worth and capacity!); succeed in unifying this divided yet forgiving nation; audit corrupt practices of warlords and political dynasties; boost confidence in the business community; restore peace and order amidst insurgency and terrorism; repaint our country’s image from a gloomy to a brighter future; continue his moral ascendancy to his people; and must do his very best to make our country great and wealthy again. He may have a lackluster track record during his legislative stints as an architect of laws but everyone deserves a second chance to shine! Maybe his time to shine will manifest when compelled to hold power as the next chief executive officer of our nation. To quote Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, “people are like stained glass windows; they sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light within.”

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (outgoing Philippine president, representative) – either you love her or hate her. But surveys reveal she’s the most unpopular president our country has had but will history be fair with her? For almost a decade, being the second female and next longest serving president in the country after Ferdinand Marcos, her policies had certainly impacted on us. Now she’s taking a lead as a congresswoman vying for the assumed ‘premiership’ in the House of Representatives in case a plan for Charter Change succeeds. In her reign as the 14th president, she survived three coup attempts and encompassed powerful foes who died naturally - a cardinal, a beloved icon of democracy, and a king of Philippine movies. Proclaimed by Forbes Magazine as the 4th and 9th most powerful woman in the world in 2005 and 2004, respectively. She exuded power as the former commander-in-chief of the AFP for nine years where she learned how to waltz with retiring generals to ensure her staying power in the palace and act as a master strategist in the art of politics. She quite excelled in her economic policies, being a scholar, educator, and practitioner of her chosen field, having obtained a PhD in Economics at UP Diliman, an MA at the ADMU, and as a magna cum laude from Assumption College, embedded with a short course from Georgetown University, and for being classmates with then U.S. president Bill Clinton. She gave birth to and strengthened various job employments unknown to previous administrations, such as the BPO and mining; implemented the controversial policy of holiday economics. In 2007, our economy grew at its fastest pace in three decades with real GDP growth exceeding 7 percent and the peso strengthened by nearly 20 percent making it by far as Asia's best performing currency for that year due to OFW remittances. As a farewell bid to her post, in a recent television ad, she boasted her accomplishments boosting a variety of achievements in building more infrastructures nationwide compared from combined programs of her three predecessors. However, under her presidential tenure, our country remained poor - poverty and corruption, terrorism and insurgency, dishonesty and greed, brain drain and unemployment, were unresolved – making our beloved nation-state still a laggard in the region! This year, a Truth Commission was formed under the new administration, to unearth shenanigans in her administration. By twist of fate, the said Truth Commission to investigate her wrongful deeds, was decided unconstitutional, by majority of the justices she appointed during her tenure as president. Clever and Strategic for her! But will truth set her free?

Jejomar Binay (vice president-elect) – a dark horse during the vice presidential race in the May automated poll. He is an epitome of an Ybanag indigenous descent who is gifted with bright mind, representing this highly educated lowland ethnic group that I also belong, who regards most importantly the value of education. Despite being short (although most Ibanags are tall), he stands giant dwarfing any Makati skyscrapers to alleviate poor neighborhood in his wealthy city by sending indigent kids to schools and universities, bringing the sick to modernized hospitals, and the elderly enjoy benefits. They called him "Burak" Obama. Small but terrible. But his meekness has become his hallmark. He earned his Political Science and Law degrees from the premier University of the Philippines in Diliman and Master in National Security Administration (MNSA) at the National Defense College of the Philippines with a commissioned rank of lieutenant colonel in the Philippine Army. In his victory to the vice presidential seat, a big support was contributed by Sen. Chiz Escudero's last minute endorsement. Although he ran under the banner of former president Estrada, his connection with the Aquino family began when he was appointed as the mayor of the country’s financial district. For more than a decade now, his family ruled Makati City – starting with him, then his wife, and at present his son as the mayor of said premier city. In 2006, he and his vice mayor and councilors, were suspended by the Department of Interior and Local Government following an accusation of “ghost employees” on the city payroll, but rumors spread that he may concurrently helm the said powerful government agency when he assumes his post as the vice president. However, recent twist of fate shows that he might no longer be part of the incoming president's cabinet.But in the end, he accepted the post as the Housing czar of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) under the new Aquino administration.

Tony Tan Caktiong (world entrepreneur awardee) – everybody loves Jolibee for sure assuming you’re a real Pinoy! Balikbayans will always crave for chicken joy whenever they come home for a brief visit or for good. Children alike will always want to have their birthdays be celebrated here to party with the likeable Jolibee mascot. Behind the genius success of Jolibee fast food chain is a UST alumnus with a degree in chemical engineering who became the 2004 World Entrepreneur Awardee and an inspiration among Asian managers. His revenues are often reported in CNN Business news. His impressive Jolibee Foods Corporation has a chapter in the MBA module at Harvard University. From a simple ice cream parlor - his business ventured into adding hamburgers, French fries, and the world famous fried chicken. Now expanding his fast food chain as one of the largest on earth, by acquiring the Greenwich Pizza in 1994, Chowking in 2000, and Hongzhuangyuan in 2007, including Red Ribbon, Delifrance Philippines, Manong Pepe, and Tita Frita’s Uling-Uling under its portfolio. On October 2010, he bought the rising food-chain of Mang Inasal for 3 billion pesos but rid off Delifrance. A well-loved Filipino brand, sharing its tasteful recipes globally, as it conquers the world through its stores in Brunei, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and the US. Recently, in one of the episodes in the fast-rising U.S. TV hit show Glee, the popular Pinoy fast food resto Jolibee, makes a cameo in a scene where Glee characters were in a dream sequence.

Charo Santos-Concio (tv network president, multi-awarded actress) – our country has already produced an actor-turned-president and two female presidents of the republic. But to have a lady president for the largest network where brightest and most-promising stars come from is a smart idea, after ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation, almost lost its momentum as the No.1 multi-media network in previous years, by its rival TV network. Upon her ascend as top powerpuff media lady executive today, this smart but graceful, elegant yet beautiful, multi-awarded actress and drama anthology show host, regains her station’s status as leader in the broadcasting industry, premier Filipino channel nationwide and globally, when she became the 5th President of ABS-CBN, making her the first woman president of this media conglomerate and Lopez Group of Companies. An alumna of Harvard University for the advanced management course she earned and an awardee of Manuel de Leon Award from the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) for her work in the entertainment industry.

Clarita Carlos (former NDCP president, political scientist) – her words are like gospels in our day-to-day political life when we watch her interviews in various newscasts and sensible talk shows. A product of the UP Political Science department who shares her expertise and thoughts on politics (be it domestic and international) as a full professor. She pursued post-doctoral degrees in Political Psychology and Foreign Policy Analysis at Cornell University and UCLA, respectively. She was my professor in one of my subjects in International Studies before I was employed at the National Defense College of the Philippines as a researcher, where she was then its president. As NDCP president, she was known for her strictness, but well-loved by employees of the government’s only security and defense academic institution. Indeed, she is a respected political analyst and academic in the Philippines today. Recently, Dr. Carlos’ daughter wrote a note in her facebook that garnered more than 350 comments and 880 ‘I like’ in her defensive post against a TV network staff because of inappropriate verbal treatment of the latter to this eminent scholar. The lesson’s learned here is to treat our scholars conscientiously the way we treat them as our important talents.

Eduardo “Danding” Cojuanco (industrialist, horse breeder, haciendero) – he made San Miguel corporation the largest food beverage in the ASEAN region. A truly Filipino global brand. My self-esteem skyrockets each time Chinese folks drink San Miguel beer in cans and see top celebrities in Hongkong endorse this Pinoy giant brand every visit I make in the tiny island of HK, China’s special gem. Under his leadership as an influential tycoon that began in 1998, San Miguel became so bullish and accumulated a pile of cash that funded a wave of local and overseas mergers and acquisitions, allowed the entry of Kirin Holdings as a strategic partner, and altered the model of a conglomerate to allow its diversification into capital-intensive but potentially higher-yielding industries. An alumnus of the University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB) and the California State College, who attempted a presidential bid in 1992 but dropped off his support to his favorite nephew, Atty. Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro, who ran but ranked fourth in the recent 2010 presidential automation poll. He is a political guru and sought for important blessings from aspiring and among elderly politicians. In his online account, it was written that, as a keen businessman, he commandeered cargo ships through Russian and Chinese seas, much to the disappointment of American competitors. He loves breeding horses and some of his horses raced in the American Colt Manila and won the 1986 Breeders’ Cup Turf; the 2002 Australian Derby winner; and the multiple Group 1 winner of Desert War. He is often called as The Man of the Earth and also dubbed as one of the country's most influential people by the Philippine Tatler’s list of Who's Who of the Philippines.

Cielito Habito (economist, columnist, professor) – currently a professor of economics and director of the Ateneo Center for Economic Research and Development (ACERD). He sits in the Boards of several corporations and foundations. Dr. Habito also writes the weekly column “No Free Lunch” in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. A summa cum laude from UPLB with a BS in Agricultural Economics degree. He obtained his MA and PhD in Economics from Harvard University. This savvy yet charismatic technocrat was the youngest member of the Cabinet of former president FVR as Secretary of Socioeconomic Planning/NEDA Director-General while he concurrently chaired the Philippine Council for Sustainable Development from 1992-1998. He was elected Chair of the Sixth Session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development in New York from 1997-1998. His first-rate resume includes being a former professor and chairman of the Economics Department at UPLB. He also worked at Kyoto University and the World Bank.

F. Landa Jocano (anthropologist, professor emeritus) – considered as an eminent historian and anthropologist who once debunked the theory pronounced by H. Otley Beyer (the father of Philippine Anthropology) on waves of migration, contradicting the Caucasian social scientist’s earlier hypothesis, by correcting the statement that we all came from the genus homo sapiens. He has written extensive scholastic works including studies on rural communities, ethnicities, corporate organizations, and the Filipino culture and society as a whole. He is currently a Professor Emeritus at the UP Asian Center and the Executive Director of PUNLAD Research House, Inc. In 2000, Dr. Jocano, who obtained his PhD from the University of Chicago, was awarded a special citation for a lifetime of writing and publishing on various aspects of Philippine culture, by the Manila Critics Circle.

Antonio La Viña (dean, lawyer, professor) – he helms deanship of the reinvigorated Ateneo de Manila School of Government, whose background as a human rights attorney, educator, and environmental expert, has made the school he’s representing more appealing and credible. He obtained his Master of Laws and Doctor of Juridical Science degrees from Yale University, focusing his academic interests in international law and policy on climate change. He also taught at ADMU, Xavier University, and UP. He has co-founded the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center – Kasama sa Kalikasan. Dr. La Viña was a former bureaucrat at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and worked as a former senior fellow in Institutions and Governance of the World Resources Institute (WRI) in Washington D.C. In addition to his work in Ashoka, following seven years with WRI, he also directed and manned the Biological Resources Program. The attorney’s strengths as environmental and human rights lawyer advances his interests into broad research topics such as governance, trade and agriculture, the impact of globalization on poor communities, genetic engineering and bio-safety, and environmental governance in Southeast Asia and China.

Alberto Lim (executive director of MBC) – an outspoken yet beloved leader of the influential Makati Business Club, whose views on economics, trade, and business are often quoted by news organizations. His hard-hitting analysis and outlook during the height of the global financial crisis was commendable. A Harvard-educated intellectual who received an MBA at Harvard Graduate School of Business and an MPA at the Kennedy School of Government. He is the youngest brother of multi-awarded and credible journalist, Cheche Lazaro. He also holds key positions aside from being an executive director of MBC. Concurrently, he is the President/Trustee of El Nido Foundation, President/Trustee of Culion Foundation, Chairman of Corporate Network for Disaster Response, President/Trustee of Manindigan!, Treasurer/Trustee of Samahan para sa Katotohanan at Kinabukasan Foundation, Inc., President/Trustee of Aldaba-Lim Foundation, Inc., Chair Rules and Regulations Committee as well as Member of the Executive Committee of the El Nido Protected Area Management Board, and Trustee of the Children’s Hour Foundation. But will he increase tourism receipts in the country as the top honcho of the tourism department? However, in his interim tenure, his "Pilipinas Kay Ganda" (How Beautiful the Philippines Is) slogan took much criticisms. Can he revive a culture of tourism in the Philippines that lags behind with other countries in the region which prides its catchy and very effective slogans, despite of our archipelagic country's advantages on having very rich ecological wonders and warm and smiling people?

Benito Lim (political scientist, professor) – very reserved in various electronic and internet sources where he owns neither a wikipedia account nor blogs to flaunt and show off his credentials as a respected political analyst today (I admire this humble act!) But everytime he is interviewed for his analysis on politics in the country, his thoughts are much appreciated and esteemed. A retired political science professor at UP Diliman but is now a prized possession of the ADMU polsci department for whose scholastic credentials are admirable.

Antonio Lopez (publisher, journalist) – once a reader reads his pieces and articles on business, globalization, politics, economics, and profiles of tycoons and taipans, in his highly-esteemed BizNews Asia magazine, (admittedly I am a fan of this glossy but informative magazine), his thoughts and voice are as powerful and logical than any Caucasian or Sinitic-looking entrepreneurs and industrialists. But this TOYM awardee, prolific brown Filipino publisher and journalist explains issues positively, comparatively, and objectively, without you perplexed or quizzical on various issues. He is so brave for continuously publishing the very informative BizNews Asia magazine with incisive reports and analyses on Filipino corporations and general socio-economic outlook of our country - from past, present, and future administrations! He was a senior correspondent of the now defunct Asiaweek. The youngest business editor of The Times Journal. He deserved to be named as Journalist of the Year by the Pilipino Reporter and a distinguished foreign correspondent from the Rotary. He has now a TV talk show entitled "BizNews' at NBN 4. His educational background is impressive with a journalism and economics degree, magna cum laude, from UST and global journalism from the University of Stockholm, Sweden in 2005.

Jose Melo (comelec chairman, former associate justice) – he truly upholds integrity as he promised to deliver our first nationwide automated election system clean, credible, and “generally-trouble free” despite of qualms that our historic computerized election would fail and regardless of headaches and issues of glitches brought by the emergence of “koala bear” to taint the integrity of election results. He obtained his law degree from Manuel L. Quezon University and graduated Master of Laws, “Meritissimus” at the University of Santo Tomas. He was appointed by then president Corazon Aquino to the Philippine Court of Appeals and by former president Fidel Ramos as an associate justice to the Supreme Court. His stand on the replacement of Chief of Justice Puno only this year reflected his adamant belief that Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code bans the appointment of “any head, official or appointing officer of a government office or agency” within the election period. As a Comelec chairman, he stated that, the election period officially started on January 10 and ends on June 9, 2010. Early next year, he will resign from his post; and to him he has already accomplished what he was mandated to do, to give Filipinos a successful and credible and pioneering nationwide automated election! Job well done!

Felipe Miranda (professor, research director) – the moment he lectures in forums and conferences, after a convincing and dependable speech, silence suddenly emanates from function halls. Participants would automatically appear awe-inspired from this distinguished speaker until he breaks the silence by asking queries. Truly, he is an authority on Philippine politics, the military, public opinion being the research director of Pulse Asia, and national security issues. Prof. Miranda who obtained his MA Political Science from the University of Chicago, teaches political science at UP Diliman for over 35 years and has melded academic discipline with social acuity to become one of the nation’s leading political analysts. He has contributed abundantly to professional journals and books, local and foreign. A regular resource person for Philippines print and the broadcast media whose opinion has been sought by international media, including such institution as the New York Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, The New Yorker, NHK, SBN and CNN International TV Network. He is a founding fellow of the Social Weather Station (SWS).

Reynato Puno (retired chief justice) – his retirement as the Chief Justice in the primus inter pares collegial judiciary branch of the Philippine government, made alarming noises on whether or not a new associate justice will wear his robe, and assume his highest position as the next chief justice, thus, insinuating various interpretations whether his vacancy in the high tribunal is constitutional. In the end, his last days in office were stained by a controversy over the naming of his successor. Despite of that, he has made a mark in the Supreme Court by initiating judicial reforms and exuding moral force on his non-elective but appointive judicial position only by a sitting president. He is known as a man of law, prose, and religion, thus he exemplifies the modern Filipino intellectual, according to a website in the Supreme Court. This TOYM awardee also inked the promulgation of the writ of amparo, wrote the tightly reasoned ponencias, and propagated his justice in wheels program. Two landmark cases were decided under his watch as the chief justice, highlighting the Manila Bay decision and the MOA on ancestral domain decision. This UP law graduate and western-educated chief justice obtained his LLM degree from the University of Berkley in California and his PhD academic units from the University of Illinois. He is awarded with various honoris causa in and out of the country. He was once pushed to run for the presidency but opted to uphold integrity and moral force in government service. He was awarded the 2008 Human Cultural Asset International by the World Peace Prize Awarding Council (WPPAC). Only this year, he was awarded the prestigious Elise and Walter A. Hass International Award by the University of California Berkeley.

Harry Roque (constitutional and human rights lawyer) – better known today as one of the legal counsels to the relatives of the murdered journalists and civilians in the Maguindanao massacre of November 2009. Professor Roque obtained his Master of Law (LLM) from the London School of Economics in 1996, Bachelor of Laws from the University of the Philippines in 1990, and BA Economics and Political Science from the University of Michigan in 1985. He has published articles on variety of local and international security from terrorism to globalization to human rights and international law. He was admitted to practice before the United Nations War Crimes Tribunal for Rwanda in 2004 and before the International Criminal Court in 2005.

Emerlinda Roman (university president) – based from her profile in a UP website, she is the 19th President of the University of the Philippines, is the first woman in a long line of distinguished individuals who have served the UP with unflagging dedication and have guided it throughout the periods of Philippine history. Truly homegrown, she obtained her highschool, undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees from the officially proclaimed National University of the Philippines. She was UP Diliman Chancellor in 1991-1993 (her first term) and in 1999-2005 (her second and third terms). It was during her terms as UP Diliman Chancellor that the Diliman Interactive Learning Center (DILC), the Center for International Studies (CIS), the Computerized Registration System, the Research Dissemination Grant for faculty, artists and writers, researchers, staff, students and varsity athletes came into being. Under her aegis as the UP president, newly high-tech and ultramodern buildings and infrastructures were erected like the imposing UP-Ayala Technohub as the university’s answer to Stanford University’s Silicon Valley or Cambridge University’s MIT’s Route 28. There’s the newest high-tech academic and research space in the College of Engineering. The trendy museum and hip home of library collection on Asian Studies literatures at the Asian Center. Soon new buildings and better student dormitory will rise under her watch.

Renato Solidum (phivolcs chief, scientist) – he’s very candid whenever he attends forums and conferences braised with his loud baritone voice. Expect from him his very active participation and obsessive chipping in of ideas during focus group discussions. Hence, this Phivolcs director, assumed office left by the revered chief scientist Dr. Raymundo Punongbayan, who reached the compulsory age of retirement. Dr. Solidum, a class valedictorian, both in grade school and high school; was educated at UP Diliman as geologist; and took further studies at the University of Illinois in Chicago for his master’s degree in Geological Science and at Scripps Institute of Oceanography in University of California, San Diego for his doctorate degree in Earth Science. His career has become successful from a low-profile Science Research Specialist I in 1984 to becoming the high-profile director of Phivolcs in 2003. A true-blooded thinker, he started as a solid researcher and later authored several papers with his interests in Geochemistry, Marine Geology, Volcano and Earthquake Geology, Geologic Hazards Assessment and Awareness, and Earth Science Education.

Miguel Syjuco (novelist, 2008 man asia literary prize winner) – reading his multi-awarded novel Ilustrado made me adulate Philippine literature again. The only Filipino yet to have won the prestigious Hongkong-based Man Asian Literary Prize in 2008, sponsored by the London financial-services firm Man Group PLC, which in Britain sponsors the Man Booker Prize for Fiction and the Man Booker International Prize. This critically-acclaimed novel was the same entry he submitted at the premier Philippine literary awards of Don Palanca that gave him top honors for his brilliantly conceived and stylishly executed novel, written in English. The first fiction novel I’ve read with footnotes that uses tumultuous historical period to better comprehend our country’s state from the perspective of a bourgeois class. This newly high-breed novelist and wordsmith obtained his English Literature degree from ADMU, completed his master’s degree in Fine Arts from Columbia University, and currently on a scholarship to finish his PhD in English Literature from the University of Adelaide. His masterpiece is now sold in leading bookstores.