In commemoration of the writer Sapardi Djoko Damono’s seventy-seventh birthday late last month, seven books were launched at the Bentara Budaya Jakarta cultural institute in South Jakarta: one new novel and six new editions of Sapardi’s previously published poetry collections. The novel, … [Read more...]
Album Review: Suara Dari Jauh by AriReda
March 31, 2017 by
[hide for="!logged"]In his early 20s, Goenawan Mohamad examined the weight of a love letter. “Bukankah surat cinta ini ditulis/ditulis ke arah siapa saja/seperti hujan yang jatuh ritmis/menyentuh arah siapa saja” (Isn’t this love letter written/ written for everyone/like the rain falling … [Read more...]
Understanding Indonesia through literary festivals
July 4, 2016 by
In May I came to Indonesia to investigate the country’s literary landscape in an effort to bring the Asia Pacific Writers and Translators’ annual event to Jakarta in 2017. Yet, I returned to Melbourne with far more than connections to run next year’s event. As someone who knew very little about … [Read more...]
‘17,000 islands of imagination’: discovering Indonesian literature
July 4, 2016 by
It’s the fourth most populous country in the world, yet it is rare to find an English translation of Indonesian literature that doesn’t focus on war or tsunamis. Why, asks Louise Doughty. In February last year, I was sitting in Cafe Batavia on Fatahillah Square in Jakarta, talking to an … [Read more...]
Celebrating Indonesia’s literary fiction tradition
June 5, 2016 by
As part of its annual literary fiction program, Indonesia’s leading daily newspaper Kompas has launched its annual best short story anthology, consisting of work printed by the paper throughout 2015. The event was held in conjunction with an awards ceremony for its best fiction writers. Many … [Read more...]