Nicomedes Joaquin, known popularly as Nick Joaquin, was a Filipino novelist, short-story writer, playwright, and journalist. Although his first language was Spanish, Joaquin wrote in the English language.
Born in Manila, Joaquin's father was a colonel who fought for General Emilio Aguinaldo in the Philippine Revolution (1896–1898). Joaquin's parents encouraged his avid reading habit and raised him as a devout Christian. He kept his faith throughout his life, studying at a Roman Catholic seminary in Hong Kong before becoming recognized as a literary talent. Joaquin's religious beliefs are an important influence on his works.
In a writing career that spanned seventy years, Joaquin was noted for his reluctance to engage in public life and nearly turned down the honor of being named National Artist of the Philippines in the literature category in 1976.
Nick Joaquin's The Woman Who Had Two Navels is a 1961 English-language novel about several Filipino characters grappling with their identities after the Philippines gains independence from the U.S. following World War II.
When Connie, a wealthy...
