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<img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources/Nick_joaquin_bencab-t.webp" alt="Nick Joaquín a painting by Benedicto Cabrera" />
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(Nick Joaquín a painting by Benedicto Cabrera)
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<p>
Joaquin, widely considered the best postwar author in short stories and novels in the English language, started as a proofreader 

at the Philippines Free Press and eventually bloomed as one of the Philippines' greatest writer of his time.
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<p>
He has written largely about the Spanish colonial period and the diverse heritage of the Filipino people.
</p>

<p>
Notably, Joaquín deeply admired Dr. Jose Rizal to whom he paid tribute to the national hero in his books The Storyteller's New 

Medium - Rizal in Saga, The Complete Poems and Plays of Jose Rizal, and A Question of Heroes: Essays in Criticism on Ten Key 

Figures of Philippine History. He also translated the hero's valedictory poem, "Land That I Love, Farewell!"
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<p>
He received several awards in his essay "La Naval de Manila" which won in a contest sponsored by the Dominicans; "Guardia de 

Honor" was declared the best story of the year in 1949.
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<p>
In 1963, he received the Araw ng Maynila Award, and in 1966 he was conferred the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Literature, Broadcast 

and Journalism.
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<p>
At that time of his death at age 86 on April 29,2004, he was editor of Philippine Graphic magazine and publisher of its sister 

publication, Mirror Weekly, a women’s magazine.
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<p>
He also wrote columns (“Small Beer”) for the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Isyu, an opinion tabloid.
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<p>
Source:
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<ol class="article-sources">
<li>
Philippines News Agency archives
</li>
</ol>


May 4, 1917: Nicomedes Joaquin was born in Paco, Manila