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...]

As a novelist, Eka Kurniawan's star has never shone brighter. In 2016, he became Indonesia's first writer to be nominated for the prestigious Man Booker International Prize. Two years later, he received the Prince Claus Award. And he's not stopping: his novel, Seperti Dendam, Rindu Harus Dibayar … [Read more...]

Nothing remains the same after the pandemic, and Indonesian writers struggle, too. They must contend with personal battles, economic woes, and the realities of a book industry ill-prepared to face a global crisis. For the project YOMU, the Japan Foundation asked five well-known authors to reflect … [Read more...]

Hundreds of works by local poets that were put to paper amid inescapable feelings of longing during the pandemic have been curated in an anthology named Kita Hanya Sesingkat Kata Rindu (We are as Brief as Longing), which is launching today. Literary community Semut Merah Kaizen received nearly … [Read more...]