Media Clippings
A compilation of every mention of Indonesian writers, written on English/foreign-language media. See also What Media Say.
‘17,000 islands of imagination’: discovering Indonesian literature
May 28, 2016 / Guardian by Louise DoughtyIn February last year, I was sitting in Cafe Batavia on Fatahillah Square in Jakarta, talking to an Indonesian friend. We were discussing how any novelist might describe a country to a readership who know nothing about it. We were surrounded by framed photos of Indonesian politicians and Hollywood stars, and the ceiling fans turned overhead. Outside, it was hot and overcast, and students milled around the front of the History Museum, built by the Dutch in 1710 and now housing objects from the founding of Jayakarta in 1527. How could any writer portray such a diverse culture? My friend smiled wryly. “You only have the same problem as the rest of us,” he said. “Indonesia isn’t a nation. It’s an imagination.”
How literature awakens nationalism in times of uncertainty
May 20, 2016 / Jakarta Post by Intan TanjungLiterature has played a significant role in shaping this country’s history. It was through the voice of Max Havelaar, written by Eduard Douwes Dekker under the name of Multatuli, that the Indonesian youth’s spirit of nationalism was ignited, which led to the Awakening Movement in 1908. Max Havelaar tells the story of Batavus Droogstoppel, representing the Dutch colonial regime of the time and his treatment of Indonesian people.
Lontar to globally publish selected Indonesian poems, short stories
May 09, 2016 / Jakarta PostThe Jakarta-based Lontar Foundation plans to publish anthologies of translated Indonesian poems and short stories from the past century in a bid to promote the country’s literature to the world. Lontar, a small outfit that has previously translated works by local writers for readers across the globe, has prepared two versions of each anthology: one in Indonesian and one in English.
Short stories, poems getting scarce in printed media
May 08, 2016 / Jakarta PostLiterary forms like the short story and the poem nowadays feature less and less in printed media because of market conditions, an artist says. "Literary magazines and journals are practically non-existent in this country or at least have lost their importance. It clearly shows our apathetic attitude toward literature," Poet Nirwan Dewanto said at the 2016 ASEAN Literary Festival on Sunday.
How Staying Small Helps New Directions Publish Great Books
Feb 16, 2016 / New Yorker by Maria BustillosThe best book that I read last year was a New Directions title, the novel “Beauty Is a Wound,” by the Indonesian writer Eka Kurniawan. Despite its warm reception in Indonesia, getting the book to American readers was a difficult undertaking. Its author had no M.F.A., no New York agent, no stories in quarterlies or journals—no “proof of concept,” as they say in business circles.
Dalang Publishing: Introducing Indonesian Historical Fiction to the U.S.
Jan 26, 2016 / Publishing Perspectives by Dennis Abrams[hide for=”!logged”]Translation is finding new energy in the world industry: after all, digital makes borders more porous than ever, foreign markets more enticing. But translation is expensive, difficult to do well, and frequently hard to ...
Writers in Spotlight at ‘Kenduri Kata’ Gathering
Jan 26, 2016 / Jakarta Globe by Nico NovitoThe leafy outdoor space of Suar Artspace was crowded on Saturday afternoon when the art venue in South Jakarta hosted an event they called “Kenduri Kata,” or “Feast of Words”. In the one-day gathering, which ...
Spoken word young Jakartans embrace a new poetry
Jan 25, 2016 / Jakarta Post by Sammi TaylorJakarta’s young creatives are putting a new spin on an old art form, as the popularity of spoken-word poetry grows in the capital city. Spoken word poetry is a form of performance art; a unique ...
New Year brings new opera, rhapsodies from Ananda
Jan 17, 2016 / Jakarta Post by Yuliasri PerdaniTo celebrate the New Year, maestro Ananda Sukarlan has surprised fans with the world premiere of his Batak-themed Rapsodia Nusantara No. 14 composition as well as two arias from his highly anticipated opera, Tumirah, Sang ...
Southeast Asian literary exchanges, K-12, Miriam College and Asean integration
Nov 16, 2015 / Inquirer.net by Rebecca T. Añonuevo[hide for=”!logged”]IT IS true how good fortune smiles even when one is down and being kicked. For a teacher like me making a countdown to “early separation” that Miriam College is bent on implementing in ...