Eka Kurniawan

Writer

Born Tasikmalaya (Nov 28, 1975), currently resides in Jakarta
Personal Web http://ekakurniawan.com/
Social Goodreads

Rights enquiry Pontas

Photo courtesy / credit goes to JL JAVIER / IDW

Eka Kurniawan has been described as the “brightest meteorite” in Indonesia’s new literary firmament, the author of two remarkable novels whose sheer beauty, elegance, cosmopolitanism, and ambition have brought comparisons not only to Pramaoedya, universally considered Indonesia’s modern literary genius, but also to Salman Rushdie, Gabriel García Márquez, and Mark Twain.

A new generation of young literary figures in Indonesia, emerging after decades of repressive dictatorship ended in 1998, is renewing the culture of the world’s largest Muslim nation (and its language, which was only nationally instituted in 1945). Kurniawan’s Beauty Is a Wound and Man Tiger are the capstones of this movement.¹

Studied philosophy at Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta. He works as a journalist, writer and designer.

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Book(s)

Sumur: Sebuah Cerita
Story
51 page(s), Gramedia Pustaka Utama

Mga Himutok sa Palikuran
Collection of Short Stories
112 page(s), Savage Mind

Tales of Two Planets
Anthology
320 page(s), Penguin Random House

Kitchen Curse
Collection of Short Stories
144 page(s), Verso Books

Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash
Novel
160 page(s), New Directions

O
Novel
478 page(s), Gramedia Pustaka Utama

Beauty Is A Wound
Novel
384 page(s), New Directions

Man Tiger
Novel
192 page(s), Verso Books

Perempuan Patah Hati yang Kembali Menemukan Cinta Melalui Mimpi
(A Broken Hearted Woman who Found Love through Dream)
Collection of Short Stories
170 page(s), Bentang Pustaka

Lelaki Harimau
(Man Tiger)
Novel
190 page(s), Gramedia Pustaka Utama

Seperti Dendam, Rindu Harus Dibayar Tuntas
(Love and Vengeance)
Novel
252 page(s), Gramedia Pustaka Utama

Corat Coret di Toilet
(Graffiti in the Toilet)
Collection of Short Stories
132 page(s), Gramedia Pustaka Utama

Dunia Di Dalam Mata
Collection of Short Stories
282 page(s), Motion Publishing

Cantik itu Luka
(Beauty Is A Wound)
Novel
490 page(s), Gramedia Pustaka Utama

Kumpulan Budak Setan
Collection of Short Stories
174 page(s), Gramedia Pustaka Utama

Cinta di Atas Perahu Cadik: Cerpen KOMPAS Pilihan 2007
Collection of Short Stories
166 page(s), Penerbit Buku Kompas

Cinta Tak Ada Mati
Collection of Short Stories
184 page(s), Gramedia Pustaka Utama

Work(s) in Translation

Letters and Fists, Notes of an Indonesian writer

A Short Story About Acceptance and Loss by Eka Kurniawan, published in VICE: The September Stories Issue

Making an Elephant Happy, published in Crossing Boundaries: New Voices from Indonesia

Dimples, published in The White Review — January 2016 Translation Issue

What Media Say

Eka Kurniawan: “It would be great to live around people who read literature from across the world” by Agnès Bardon — Courier (Jul 07, 2022)

The Spine Collector by Reeves Wiedeman — Vulture (Jan 06, 2022)

Eka Kurniawan: A modest literary star by Sebastian Partogi — Jakarta Post (Nov 09, 2020)

Interview with Indonesian Author Eka Kurniawan — Netherlandsandyou.nl (Sep 17, 2020)

Eka Kurniawan turns down award from Education and Culture Ministry — Jakarta Post (Oct 10, 2019)

Eka Kurniawan celebrates Prince Claus Award in town by Evie Breese — Jakarta Post (Feb 23, 2019)

Verso to Debut New Fiction Line in Fall 2019 by Calvin Reid — Publishers Weekly (Feb 12, 2019)

Author Eka Kurniawan gets Prince Claus award by Linawati Sidarto — Jakarta Post (Dec 10, 2018)

Eka Kurniawan Talks ‘Cantik Itu Luka’ and His Favorite Books About Indonesia by Dhania Putri Sarahtika — Jakarta Globe (Sep 07, 2018)

Eka Kurniawan named 2018 Prince Claus laureate — Jakarta Post (Sep 06, 2018)

New Order child by Norman Erikson Pasaribu — Mekong Review (May 01, 2018)

‘Almost All of My Novels Talk About Power Structures’: A Conversation With Eka Kurniawan by Stanley Widianto — VICE (Nov 25, 2017)

Eka Kurniawan: Writing fearlessly by A. Kurniawan Ulung — Jakarta Post (Nov 08, 2017)

Eka Kurniawan’s ‘Beauty is a Wound’ listed in French literary award by Ni Nyoman Wira — Jakarta Post (Oct 04, 2017)

The Lounge Chair Interview: 10 Questions with Eka Kurniawan by Aminah Sheikh — Kitaab (May 19, 2017)

‘No matter how serious your theme, the work should be entertaining.’ by Shreya Ila Anasuya — Scroll.in (Feb 26, 2017)

Reading Suharto, Quran, Mahabharata and Ramayana by Paromita Chakrabarti — Indian Express (Jan 21, 2017)

Eka Kurniawan Short Story Inspires Harry Dagoe’s Latest Film ‘Sunya’ by Lisa Siregar — Jakarta Globe (Dec 01, 2016)

‘Indonesia is a country that comes from blood’ by Nur Asyiqin Mohamad Salleh — Straits Times (Jun 12, 2016)

Author Eka Kurniawan in the Running for Man Booker International Prize — Jakarta Globe (Mar 10, 2016)

Eka Kurniawan on Indonesia and Magical Realism by J.R. Ramakrishnan — Electric Literature (Jan 28, 2016)

A round-up of the critical response to Eka Kurniawan and his writing by Florence Stencel-Wade — VersoBooks Blog (Jan 26, 2016)

Burning bright — The Economist (Jan 23, 2016)

Eka Kurniawan, enfant des mythes by Florence Noiville — Le Monde (Nov 12, 2015)

Eka Kurniawan: Indonesia’s most exciting author by Hephzibah Anderson — BBC (Nov 04, 2015)

Eka Kurniawan Lights Up Indonesian Corner of World Literature Scene by Nico Novito — Jakarta Globe (Sep 17, 2015)

Interview: Eka Kurniawan on “Beauty Is a Wound” by Tim Mann — Indonesia at Melbourne (Aug 31, 2015)

Eka Kurniawan a successor to Indonesia’s greatest writer, Pramoedya Ananta Toer by Jewel Topsfield — Sydney Morning Herald (Aug 22, 2015)

A Q&A with Eka Kurniawan by Alice Lewinsky — Text Publishing Blog (Aug 19, 2015)

Eka’s korean Breakthrough by Prasiddha Gustanto — J Plus (Jul 26, 2015)

Eka Kurniawan: A Quixotic Journey Through Indonesian History and Myth by Daniel Lefferts — Publishers Weekly (Jul 10, 2015)

Also Mentioned in ...

Bali’s Ubud begins 20th writers’ festival aimed at drawing 15,000 people by Clement Yong - Straits Times (Oct 19, 2023)

How crime fiction went global, embracing themes from decolonisation to climate change by Alistair Rolls Jesper Gulddal Stewart King - Conversation (Aug 31, 2022)

Surf up to Langkawi Writers’ Festival for sun, sea and books by Dinesh Kumar Maganathan - Star Online (Jul 23, 2022)

“We Are a Nation of Wounds”―Eka Kurniawan ✕ Ribeka Ota by Raka Ibrahim - Asia Center (Feb 25, 2022)

Online literary festivals connect people around the world by Sebastian Partogi Stevie Emilia - Jakarta Post (Dec 29, 2020)

KEMBALI20: Kevin Kwan, Oka Rusmini, Eka Kurniawan, and other great speakers you should see during ‘Rebuild Bali’ virtual festival by Sheany - Coconuts (Sep 15, 2020)

Latin American connection: Can Indonesian literature have the same influence? by Lara Norgaard - Jakarta Post (Dec 08, 2019)

Five Indonesian authors you should read (or: Intan Paramaditha on the inescable politics of lists) by Intan Paramaditha - Literary Hub (Mar 08, 2019)

The Problem With Promoting Indonesian Literature Abroad?: A Simplistic White Gaze by Theodora Sarah Abigail - Jakarta Globe (Mar 05, 2019)

Where are all the Indonesian writers? by Pamela Allen - National Centre for Writing (Feb 22, 2019)

Literature is the new cool by Sebastian Partogi - Jakarta Post (Dec 19, 2017)

Pontas at the Göteborg Book Fair 2017 - Pontas – Latest News (Oct 02, 2017)

Rights Interest Rising: Indonesian Publishers on International Trade by Porter Anderson - Publishing Perspectives (Jul 20, 2017)

Powerhouse Spanish Agency Pontas Literary Marks 25 Years by Jasmin Kirkbride - Publishers Weekly (Apr 27, 2017)

Lost in translation: why the world is missing out on Indonesia’s best writers by Dene Mullen - Southeast Asia Globe (Jan 05, 2017)

Indonesia Prepares 300 Books for Frankfurt Book Fair 2016 by Chitra Paramaesti - Tempo English (Sep 29, 2016)

Understanding Indonesia through literary festivals by Sanaz Fotouhi - Jakarta Post (Jun 08, 2016)

‘17,000 islands of imagination’: discovering Indonesian literature by Louise Doughty - Guardian (May 28, 2016)

How Staying Small Helps New Directions Publish Great Books by Maria Bustillos - New Yorker (Feb 16, 2016)

Literaturfest in Indonesien: Nur nicht über die Massaker reden! by Marco Stahlhut - Frankfurter Allgemeine (Nov 04, 2015)

Indonesia writers fear censors over the 1965 communist purges by Deborah Cassrels - Australian (Nov 02, 2015)

Frankfurt Book Fair 2015: another special and unique event - Pontas – Latest News (Oct 19, 2015)

Time to shine for Indonesian literature by Yuliasri Perdani - Jakarta Post (Oct 18, 2015)

Indonesian literature stars in the making by Yuliasri Perdani - Jakarta Post (Oct 18, 2015)

Translation is key to Indonesian literature going global by Endy Bayuni - Jakarta Post (Oct 16, 2015)

Commentary: We miss you in Frankfurt, Mr. President by Endy Bayuni - Jakarta Post (Oct 15, 2015)

World meet Indonesian literature at the Buchmesse by Antonia Soriente - Il manifesto (Oct 15, 2015)

Come October, Celebrating Literature’s Best and Brightest in Ubud by Nico Novito - Jakarta Globe (Sep 10, 2015)

A many-headed machine by Hendrik Maier - Inside Indonesia (Jul 17, 2015)

BEA 2015: Books by Franzen, Hallberg Among Most Talked About by Claire Kirch Judith Rosen Louisa Ermelino - Publishers Weekly (May 28, 2015)

Emerging Indonesian Writers for UWRF 2015 Selected - UWRF News (May 01, 2015)

Some 2015 Highlights, from Text Staff - Text Publishing Blog (Jan 08, 2015)

Indonesia’s Opportunity At 2015 Frankfurt Book Fair by Nithin Coca - Indonesia Expat (Dec 01, 2014)

Putting the Word Out by Nithin Coca - Southeast Asia Globe (Oct 30, 2014)

Annie Tucker on Translating Eka Kurniawan by Annie Tucker - PEN America (Sep 09, 2013)

Thugs, Dancers and Ojek Drivers: ‘Goyang Penasaran’ is Theater With a Twist by Catriona Richards - Jakarta Globe (Apr 18, 2012)

Why Aren’t More Indonesian Literary Works Published Abroad? by Richard Oh - Jakarta Globe (Jan 17, 2009)

Bi wa Kizu and the Image of Cultural Globalization in Contemporary Japan: A Case Study of an Indonesian Novel Translation by Indah S. Pratidina - Personal Blog (Dec 04, 2007)