Lucky Creatures
Winner of the inaugural 2024 Saraband Prize in the Essay, selected by Alexander Chee and for readers of Ocean Vuong's The Emperor of Gladness

Lucky Creatures by Joseph Trinidad is a bold and playful essay collection exploring identity, displacement, and the complexities of immigrant life. Through the author’s experience as a Filipino immigrant in New Zealand, Lucky Creatures delves into the vibrancy of his home and the thriving Filipino community in rural Hawke’s Bay, his family’s struggles with systemic and structural racism, and his personal journey of coming out as queer while grappling with the desire for a child. Drawing from the creatures of Filipino folktales and New Zealand fauna, Lucky Creatures reflects on the intersections of culture, colonization, and self-discovery, answering every immigrant’s question: "Was the move worth it?" With humor, wit, and grace, Lucky Creatures offers an unforgettable exploration of life as a queer, Brown, transnational hybrid.

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Lucky Creatures
Winner of the inaugural 2024 Saraband Prize in the Essay, selected by Alexander Chee and for readers of Ocean Vuong's The Emperor of Gladness

Lucky Creatures by Joseph Trinidad is a bold and playful essay collection exploring identity, displacement, and the complexities of immigrant life. Through the author’s experience as a Filipino immigrant in New Zealand, Lucky Creatures delves into the vibrancy of his home and the thriving Filipino community in rural Hawke’s Bay, his family’s struggles with systemic and structural racism, and his personal journey of coming out as queer while grappling with the desire for a child. Drawing from the creatures of Filipino folktales and New Zealand fauna, Lucky Creatures reflects on the intersections of culture, colonization, and self-discovery, answering every immigrant’s question: "Was the move worth it?" With humor, wit, and grace, Lucky Creatures offers an unforgettable exploration of life as a queer, Brown, transnational hybrid.

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Lucky Creatures

Lucky Creatures

Lucky Creatures

Lucky Creatures

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Overview

Winner of the inaugural 2024 Saraband Prize in the Essay, selected by Alexander Chee and for readers of Ocean Vuong's The Emperor of Gladness

Lucky Creatures by Joseph Trinidad is a bold and playful essay collection exploring identity, displacement, and the complexities of immigrant life. Through the author’s experience as a Filipino immigrant in New Zealand, Lucky Creatures delves into the vibrancy of his home and the thriving Filipino community in rural Hawke’s Bay, his family’s struggles with systemic and structural racism, and his personal journey of coming out as queer while grappling with the desire for a child. Drawing from the creatures of Filipino folktales and New Zealand fauna, Lucky Creatures reflects on the intersections of culture, colonization, and self-discovery, answering every immigrant’s question: "Was the move worth it?" With humor, wit, and grace, Lucky Creatures offers an unforgettable exploration of life as a queer, Brown, transnational hybrid.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781956046618
Publisher: Sarabande Books
Publication date: 06/16/2026
Pages: 246
Product dimensions: 5.25(w) x 7.75(h) x 0.00(d)

About the Author

Joseph Trinidad is a Filipino writer who lives in Te-Whanganui-a-Tara | Wellington. His work has been featured in Landfall, North & South, Te Papa, The Spinoff, Turbine | Kapohau, and Migrant Zine Collective. He is the winner of the 2023 Adam Foundation Prize from the International Institute of Modern Letters and the 2023 Asian Ink from Playmarket.

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