Gathering Our Breath is a collaborative grief anthology created by a group of creatives—writers, artists, photographers, musicians, artisans, and educators—across Turtle Island.  rough diverse forms of creative expression, this book’s contributors reflect on experiences of loss and mourning that touched the Filipino community in Vancouver and beyond following the Lapu Lapu Day tragedy on April 26, 2025.

This book is intended as living memory, an altar, and an offering to those we have lost. It seeks to preserve our grief beyond the  fleeting nature of social media, providing a tangible space for remembrance that readers can return to again and again. It exists as both witness and companion—a testament to the power of storytelling, artistic expression, and shared mourning, reminding us that grief is not only personal, but collective, and that memory itself is medicine.

The anthology was brought together by artists committed to centering voices that are often marginalized or underrepresented. We prioritize inclusivity, social justice, and intersectional care in all our work.

We honour Indigenous sovereignty and the ancestral lands on which this book was created, and we extend solidarity to communities worldwide who have experienced displacement, violence, and loss.

Creators & Supporters

The anthology was created by Dani Alcalde-Sidloski, Asia Alcalde-Sidloski, Nathalie De Los Santos, and Maria Bolaños, with support from Place to Be Books, Sampaguita Press, and the Filipino-Canadian Book Festival.

Contributing artists and writers include:

Nelli V. Agbulos, Mak Aruta Konefall, Dionne Co, Sol Diana, Francis Arevalo, Carlo Sayo, Shruthi Budnar, Elysse Cloma, Clara Sanchez, Neema Ejercito, Carmela Cruz, Asia Alcalde-Sidloski, JP Catungal, Michelle Uy, Chiara Susanto, Living Hyphen, Sid Thota, Alyssa Victorino, Nathalie De Los Santos, Adam Arca, Dani Alcalde-Sidloski, Maria Bolaños, Isa Carlin, Mariel Abella, Mary Poirier, Rina Malagayo Alluri, Kyle Doria, Glady Kama Guinto Lee, Bek, Christine Añonuevo, Jules PF, Marilynn Quigley, Anneliese Herbosa, Keana Aguila Labra, Arlene Biala, Lorenz Mazon Dumuk, Renato Gandia, and Lani Domaloy.

Please donate to our next print run or reserve a copy below!

This has been a self-funded project amongst the editors. If our next print run is fully funded, the price of the physical book will be free.

Our first print run was funded, and copies will be given for free to the Vancouver community in May 2026.