Media Clippings

Indonesia’s Literary Leap Through Choix Goncourt

May 13, 2026 / Seasia by Mohammad Reiza
Indonesia’s literary world entered a historic chapter as the country officially launched Choix Goncourt Indonesia in Jakarta on 11–12 May 2026, marking its inclusion as the 51st member of the prestigious international Choix Goncourt network. The two-day cultural program brought together diplomats, writers, filmmakers, academics, students, and journalists in a celebration of literature, translation, and cultural diplomacy between Indonesia and France.

One of the highlights of the event took place on Tuesday evening through a special discussion titled Dari Kata ke Sinema (From Words to Cinema), exploring the relationship between literature and film adaptation. The session featured prominent Indonesian cultural figures including French novelist and Académie Goncourt President Philippe Claudel, acclaimed Indonesian writers Reda Gaudiamo and Laksmi Pamuntjak, filmmaker Ryan Adriandhy, novelist Ratih Kumala, and actress Hannah Al Rashid as moderator.

Seven Asian writers gather at Khaosod ahead of Chommanard award

Apr 03, 2026 / Khaosod English by Pravit Rojanaphruk
When seven distinguished women writers from Southeast and East Asia gathered at the Khaosod office in Bangkok on Tuesday, 31 March 2026 — most shortlisted for the prestigious Chommanard International Women’s Literary Award — the conversation moved well beyond books, touching on country, identity, technology and the shifting role of women’s voices.

Six of the seven were among the eight shortlisted novelists, while one was a country winner. Created and sponsored by Bangkok Bank more than a decade ago, the prize celebrates outstanding female literary talent across ASEAN and China, with a 500,000-baht grand prize to be awarded later this evening. Sixty books from 10 countries were submitted for the 2025 awards.

GTLF 2025: Palestinian Poetry, Indie Bookshops And The Truth

Dec 10, 2025 / Eksentrika
In a session titled She Who Remembers, She Who Rewrites, Indonesian novelist Ramayda Akmal remarked:

“Fiction has the power to refract and expand reality — it plays an important role in revealing the unspoken things that are too difficult for people to say.”

Together with Belgian writer Lize Spit and Malaysian author Bernice Chauly (moderator), Ramayda explored how female characters are often dismissed as cerewet — fussy, nagging, “too much” — and how this mirrors the way women’s writing is read.

JILF 2025: A Global Forum of Writers Blending Intellect and Emotion

Nov 14, 2025 / Asia Today
The Jakarta International Literary Festival (JILF) 2025 has returned as one of Southeast Asia’s most dynamic and influential literary platforms.

Officially opened by Jakarta’s Deputy Governor Rano Karno at Teater Jakarta, Taman Ismail Marzuki, on Thursday, November 13, 2025, this year’s festival offers a richly layered experience of reading, reflection, and dialogue.

Carrying the theme “The Homeland in Our Bodies,” JILF 2025 explores the idea that identity is not confined to geographical borders, but is deeply rooted in memory, language, and emotion. The theme threads through the entire four-day agenda, running from 13 to 16 November 2025, inviting participants to examine how stories shape their sense of belonging and humanity.

Developing children’s independent reading tastes at SIBF 2025

Nov 14, 2025 / Sharjah 24
Stories resonate most deeply with children when they are rooted in truth and lived experience, agreed three celebrated children’s authors during a panel discussion titled “Turning Pages, Changing Young Readers’ Lives” at the 44th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2025).

Moderated by media presenter Lamya Tawfik, the session brought together Syrian-British author Nadine Kaadan, Angolan writer Ondjaki, and Indonesian author Reda Gaudiamo, who shared their views on authentic storytelling, cultural identity, and the importance of allowing children to develop independent reading tastes.

The Jakarta Post’s Notes from In-Between spotlights role of stories in a fragmented world

Nov 14, 2025 / Jakarta Post
Held on Nov. 10 at JPLive! Space, Notes from the In-Between is the first offline event of the Knowledge Series, consisting of an interactive writing workshop helmed by Indonesian-Chinese-American author Xu Xi and followed by a fireside chat. Limited to just 20 participants, the “Writing as Inquiry” workshop highlighted how stories can be driven by questions instead of plots, where participants were guided to explore the different techniques as well their own tone, voice and perspective to create resilient stories.

Letter from the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival

Nov 10, 2025 / Asian Review of Books by Vikram Zutshi
I spend nearly half the year in Indonesia, so the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival always feels like a homecoming, the one place I can sit with local authors, journalists and historians, swap ideas about books and the country’s latest turns, and catch up with friends I only see once a year.

The 51st Anniversary of the Jakarta Arts Council Novel Competition

Nov 06, 2025 / RRI by Misni Parjiati
The 2025  Jakarta Arts Council (DKJ) Novel Competition returns as one of Indonesia’s most prestigious literary competitions, celebrating its 51st year of championing emerging and established voices in fiction. Since its inception in 1974, the biennial contest has served as a launchpad for some of the country’s most influential authors, many of whom have gone on to achieve national acclaim and international recognition.

Resisting Voices of Ubud Writers and Readers Festival 2025

Nov 02, 2025 / Omong-Omong Media by Abdul Khalik
Expressing her anger upon discovering that President Prabowo Subianto’s government had attempted to manipulate history through its efforts to rewrite the country’s past, senior journalist Uni Lubis told a session on “Rewriting Indonesian History” at the Alang-Alang Stage of the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival 2025 that the current regime does, in fact, intend to deny the mass rape of Indonesian Chinese women in 1998.

Uni Lubis added that softening the narrative of the nation’s history during the New Order era could allow the government to award former president Soeharto official national-hero status. “It’s their plan from the outset,” she said.

Indonesia Promotes Literary Diplomacy Through BRICS Literature Award

Oct 27, 2025 / RRI by Ofra Regina
The Language Development and Cultivation Agency of Indonesia continuously promotes the internationalization of Indonesian literature on the global stage. The initiative aims at fostering cultural diplomacy and collaboration among writers from BRICS member countries.

During the BRICS Literature Award press conference in Jakarta, Monday (10/27/2025), Secretary of the Language Agency, Ganjar Harimansyah, conveyed Indonesia’s commitment to enhancing global literary exchange. He highlighted that literature serves as a bridge connecting nations through shared creativity and cultural understanding.