In a small theater lobby at Taman Ismail Marzuki art center in Cikini, Central Jakarta, on Thursday, paintings were put on display as painters, poets and artists from various fields huddled together in deep conversation about the artworks in front of them. “This work — this one — has made its rounds … [Read more...]
Speed Hating, Singapore Crime Tours and other guilty pleasures at Singapore Writers Festival 2021
October 9, 2021 by
As the 2021 Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) draws ever closer, they’re certainly whetting our appetites as they tease even more programmes set to awaken our inner cravings and indulge in our guilty pleasures – literarily, of course. Over 140 programmes will be featured at this year’s festival, … [Read more...]
Book piracy: Cash-strapped and hungry for knowledge, or simply fraud?
July 25, 2021 by
Finding pirated versions of books in Indonesia is easy. From kiosks and outlets in shopping centers to a variety of e-commerce platforms that host vendors carrying the illicit goods, those looking can find cheap versions of practically any title, old and new, foreign or Indonesia. From obvious … [Read more...]
Good News for Literature Lovers
July 25, 2021 by
The long-awaited Ubud Writers & Readers Festival (UWRF) returns for its 18th year, from 8–17 October 2021. The Festival moves forward with the theme, Mulat Sarira, interpreted in English as Self-Reflection. The Festival will explore self-reflection, cultural introspection, and human rights: … [Read more...]
Claire Albrecht Reviews Jennifer Mackenzie’s Navigable Ink
March 27, 2021 by
The blurb of Jennifer Mackenzie’s 2020 collection Navigable Ink (Transit Lounge) begins by introducing Indonesian writer and activist Pramoedya Ananta Toer, who died in 2006. Mackenzie had been offered Toer’s novel manuscript Arus Balik for translation back in 1993, but it seems this translation was … [Read more...]