Lalani of the Distant Sea creates an independent Philippine-inspired fantasy world that transcends national boundaries

11 Feb 2026

Lalani of the Distant Sea, a middle-grade fantasy novel by Newbery Medal–winning Filipino American author Erin Entrada Kelly, illustrates how postcolonial children’s fantasy reworks dominant genre conventions rooted in colonial literary traditions to imagine alternative worlds for marginalized young readers. The narrative centers on Lalani, a young girl held responsible for the hardships endured by her impoverished island community of Sanlagita. In an effort to save both her people and her gravely ill mother, Lalani undertakes a perilous journey across the Veiled Sea to the mythical island of Isa, where she seeks the aid of the spirit Fei Diwata. The novel unfolds through interwoven narrative threads, shifting among the perspectives of multiple characters whose stories intersect with and enrich Lalani’s quest.

Kelly explains that Lalani was inspired by her Filipino heritage, particularly Filipino folklore and culture, which shapes the novel’s themes of nature’s power, resilience in the face of hardship, and survival through community. However, she also emphasizes that the fantastical elements in the work are products of her own imagination.

This article analyzes and re-interprets Lalani using the lens of postcolonial fantasy literature, in which the dominant tropes and forms of Anglo-American fantasy fiction such as the magical main character, the medieval heroic past, and the hero’s journey are subverted by the author in order to display an alternative way of creating fantastical fiction for young readers in an increasingly globalized world. Using contemporary theoretical literary frameworks like environmental humanities, subcreation studies, and postcolonial studies, the article highlights the importance of Philippine mythological world-building as well as its role in imagining a better future for young people through perseverance, respect for nature, and community work. By reimagining time beyond linear history and drawing on cultural affinities without explicit historical parallels, Lalani of the Distant Sea constructs an independent Philippine-inspired fantasy world that transcends national boundaries and invites a diverse, global readership.

As an author and a children’s literature academic, the significance of my work lies in highlighting and
uplifting marginalized creators and writers of children’s literature, especially in the very Global North-
centered world of children’s literature studies. By highlighting the work of an award-winning Filipino-
American children’s book author, Erin Entrada Kelly, I am able to show how the Philippine mythological world-building becomes a valuable and enriching imagined world to use for a fantasy novel for young readers.

Author: Gabriela Lee (Department of English and Comparative Literature, College of Arts and Letters, University of the Philippines Diliman | University of Pittsburgh)

Read the full paper: https://doi.org/10.1353/uni.2023.a933837

Image by Enrique ELG21 from Pixabay

Lalani of the Distant Sea creates an independent Philippine-inspired fantasy world that transcends national boundaries

Lalani of the Distant Sea, a middle-grade fantasy novel by Newbery Medal–winning Filipino American author Erin Entrada Kelly, illustrates how postcolonial children’s fantasy reworks dominant genre conventions rooted in colonial literary traditions to imagine alternative worlds for marginalized young readers. The narrative centers on Lalani, a young girl held responsible for the hardships endured by her impoverished island community of Sanlagita. In an effort to save both her people and her gravely ill mother, Lalani undertakes a perilous journey across the Veiled Sea to the mythical island of Isa, where she seeks the aid of the spirit Fei Diwata. The novel unfolds through interwoven narrative threads, shifting among the perspectives of multiple characters whose stories intersect with and enrich Lalani’s quest.

Kelly explains that Lalani was inspired by her Filipino heritage, particularly Filipino folklore and culture, which shapes the novel’s themes of nature’s power, resilience in the face of hardship, and survival through community. However, she also emphasizes that the fantastical elements in the work are products of her own imagination.

This article analyzes and re-interprets Lalani using the lens of postcolonial fantasy literature, in which the dominant tropes and forms of Anglo-American fantasy fiction such as the magical main character, the medieval heroic past, and the hero’s journey are subverted by the author in order to display an alternative way of creating fantastical fiction for young readers in an increasingly globalized world. Using contemporary theoretical literary frameworks like environmental humanities, subcreation studies, and postcolonial studies, the article highlights the importance of Philippine mythological world-building as well as its role in imagining a better future for young people through perseverance, respect for nature, and community work. By reimagining time beyond linear history and drawing on cultural affinities without explicit historical parallels, Lalani of the Distant Sea constructs an independent Philippine-inspired fantasy world that transcends national boundaries and invites a diverse, global readership.

As an author and a children’s literature academic, the significance of my work lies in highlighting and
uplifting marginalized creators and writers of children’s literature, especially in the very Global North-
centered world of children’s literature studies. By highlighting the work of an award-winning Filipino-
American children’s book author, Erin Entrada Kelly, I am able to show how the Philippine mythological world-building becomes a valuable and enriching imagined world to use for a fantasy novel for young readers.

Author: Gabriela Lee (Department of English and Comparative Literature, College of Arts and Letters, University of the Philippines Diliman | University of Pittsburgh)

Read the full paper: https://doi.org/10.1353/uni.2023.a933837

Image by Enrique ELG21 from Pixabay