Media Clippings

Singapore Writers Festival packs in crowds

Nov 10, 2015 / Straits Times by Akshita Nanda
The Singapore Writers Festival this year again hit the sweet spot with lovers of literature, with packed halls at many of its 300 ticketed and free events and its highest-ever attendance for a ticketed event ...

An Evening With Women in Modern Literature

Nov 06, 2015 / Jakarta Globe by Nico Novito
Fresh from speaking at the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival in Bali last weekend, American authors Anchee Min and Porochista Khakpour continued their Indonesia tour at the festival’s satellite event in Jakarta on Tuesday night. ...

Rethinking Censorship in Indonesia

Nov 06, 2015 / Sydney Review of Books by Tiffany Tsao
When censorship reared its ugly head at this year’s Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, it caught everyone off guard. ‘Surprising’ and ‘a new code of behaviour’ were how festival founder and director Janet DeNeefe phrased the pressure from the Balinese police to cancel events about the 1965 communist purges. ‘I had not imagined,’ wrote Vannessa Hearman—historian and moderator for one of the cancelled sessions—‘after 17 years of democratic rule in Indonesia, and a year after the euphoric celebration of President Joko Widodo’s election, that the government would resort to crude tactics of silencing those speaking about the massacres in front of an international audience.’ Other reports and opinion pieces on the incident expressed similar astonishment, calling the suppression ‘unexpected’, ‘deeply shocking’ and ‘a huge step backwards’, and a disturbing throwback to the repressive Suharto regime.

Writing our way to freedom

Nov 04, 2015 / Jakarta Post by Endy Bayuni
When Indonesia celebrated its 70th independence anniversary this year, we paid tribute to our heroes for making it happen. Through blood, sweat and tears, they turned Indonesia into a free and independent nation. Not widely appreciated or recognized in these celebrations is the contribution that some of these heroes made through their writings. We tend to focus more on those who took up arms and joined the physical struggle in the late 1940s. Equally important, if not more so, was the work of thinkers who launched the independence struggle decades earlier through their writings.

Literaturfest in Indonesien: Nur nicht über die Massaker reden!

Nov 04, 2015 / Frankfurter Allgemeine by Marco Stahlhut
Die Zensur hatte das Erinnern an die Opfer der Massenmorde von 1965 verboten. Doch das größte indonesische Literaturfestival findet trotzdem Mittel zum Meinungsaustausch.

Indonesia writers fear censors over the 1965 communist purges

Nov 02, 2015 / Australian by Deborah Cassrels
When The Jakarta Post’s senior editor spoke at the Ubud Readers and Writers festival in Bali, a policeman emerged from the audience to photograph him. Endy Bayuni was one of four panellists whose identities were ...

Let Bygones Be Bygones

Nov 01, 2015 / Asia Literary Review by Prodita Sabarini
'Let bygones be bygones!’ Mum and Dad said to me, speaking over each other. Their faces shared a determination to have the last say on the matter. The afternoon light was fading and our teas were turning cold. My parents and I had been shouting at each other for the past hour, debating whether or not Indonesia should apologise to the victims of the 1965 communist purge.

The Contribution Of Indonesian Novels, Short Stories And Poetry Towards Tolerance As To The G-30-s Trauma

Oct 21, 2015 / Tribunal 1965 by Alle G. Hoekema
Probably the most traumatic experience of modern Indonesia has been the abortive coup of September 30, 1965, which in the end did cost the lives of hundreds of thousands people, most of them totally innocent. Both in Indonesia itself and elsewhere a debate is still going on as to who have to be blamed for this coup and the subsequent massacre. In the early sixties a fierce ideological chasm came into being between left-wing, partly communist (and partly atheist) groups, parties and institutions on the one hand, and religiously oriented, partly conservative, forces on the other hand. Apparently President Sukarno had not sufficient grip on the politically, culturally and economically deteriorating situation; even in his army this crevice was present. This ideological split came to an violent outburst, which till today deeply influences the life of Indonesia as a nation. Many so-called ex-tapol and their families still feel a deep hostility and suspicion from the side of other people and especially government officials, In this paper I want to show, how Indonesian novelists and poets look at this traumatic period. Did they contribute to a healing process? And, to what extent does religion or religiosity play a (positive or negative) role in their work? First of all, there are novels, short stories and poems written by (former) political prisoners, political exiles or – the second-generation victims – their children. However, others have written about this theme as well. As to their contribution we we can make a division between novels, short stories and poetry published during the so-called Orde Baru, the time of President Soeharto (who had to step down in 1998) and publications from the post-Soeharto period, the so-called Reformasi period, which continues till now.

Frankfurt Book Fair 2015: another special and unique event

Oct 19, 2015 / Pontas – Latest News
One of the most special moments was meeting at last in person the Indonesian author Eka Kurniawan, who officially signed as a new Pontas client. He was in Frankfurt to participate in the programme of the Indonesia Guest of Honour yet even before this the international buzz about him and the strong reviews coming out of the US in the New York Times and The New Yorker announced that he is considered one of the most promising literary authors emerging in the world, as well as being recommended by Oprah Winfrey. Leila S. Chudori was also part of of the Indonesian programme and her novel Pulang (Home) caught the attention of German readers and media.

Indonesian literature stars in the making

Oct 18, 2015 / Jakarta Post by Yuliasri Perdani
At one of the world’s most renowned publishing trade fairs, more than 70 authors and hundreds of other artists from Indonesia embarked on a mission to bring local literature to the global market. Indonesia had a good start at this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair, running from Oct. 14 to 18.