What is God? What is poetry? Spirituality has been a main topic for poetry across Nusantara for centuries. Since the beginning of Malay poetry in the 16th century through the works of Sufi poet, Hamzah Fansuri, to the pioneer of Indonesia’s modern poetry, Chairil Anwar, in the mid 20th century, … [Read more...]

The annual prize is now open for entry, with Indonesian announced as the focus language for 2022. We are delighted to announce that the 2022 Harvill Secker Young Translators’ Prize is now open for entry. This year the focus language is Indonesian and entrants will translate an excerpt from the … [Read more...]

The National Centre for Writing opens a 13th year of translation mentorships, with a Québec French or First Nations focus available. Deadline for Entries: August 31 In the United Kingdom, the National Centre for Writing in Norwich has today announced (July 22) the available languages and mentors … [Read more...]

The inaugural Langkawi Writers’ Festival in Kedah, happening from Sept 1-4, is another positive step towards consolidating the northern Malaysian literary scene, which already has the internationally acclaimed George Town Literary Festival and the independent MYWritersFest in Penang. The Langkawi … [Read more...]

With its diverse ethnicities and cultures, Indonesia has celebrated gender diversity even before the country's independence. This is indicated by the existence of five genders in the Bugis (South Sulawesi) tradition, namely: Makunrai (female), Oroane (Male), Calabai (Male with women soul), Calalai … [Read more...]