Media Clippings
A compilation of every mention of Indonesian writers, written on English/foreign-language media. See also What Media Say.
And words fell from stars at the Makassar International Writers Festival
Jul 02, 2015 / Personal Blog by Marc NairThe fifth edition of the Makassar International Writers Festival 2015, a four day affair of panels, workshops and performances, was held in the port city of Makassar, in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The theme for this year‘s festival was ‘Knowledge and the Universe.’
Makassar Festival Seeks to Promote Eastern Indonesian Writers
Jun 09, 2015 / Jakarta Globe by Kennial Caroline LaiaEvents like the recently-concluded Makassar International Writers Festival are needed to promote literary works from eastern Indonesia, which have long been overshadowed by their counterparts from the western parts of the country, the organizers say. ...
Is Indonesia a “Land Without Readers?”
Jun 05, 2015 / Publishing Perspectives by Dennis AbramsIndonesia has a 93% literacy rate, but only a nascent book culture and few translations, all of which are slowing preparations for the Frankfurt Book Fair, where the country will be Guest of Honor. At ...
Literature in Indonesia: A land without readers
May 29, 2015 / Qantara by Monika GriebelerIndonesia is guest of honour at this autumn's Frankfurt Book Fair. That's a remarkable situation, because readers make up only a tiny proportion of the country's 250 million people. Good stories, that's what Indonesians love. Chatting with the neighbours, fairy tales put on at puppet theatres, or the popular recitation competitions – there's always plenty of telling and acting, talking and rhyming going on. Poetry readings often attract hundreds of people, the poets performing their pieces with much pathos and gesturing. Bands set verses to music, melancholy, mystic, magical. Some stories are passed down over centuries.
BEA 2015: Books by Franzen, Hallberg Among Most Talked About
May 28, 2015 / Publishers Weekly by Claire Kirch Judith Rosen Louisa ErmelinoBEA is about the future: the books that publishers are presenting, authors are signing, and booksellers and librarians are noting for the upcoming seasons. This year, as always, we walked the aisles to ask our ...
Emerging Indonesian Writers for UWRF 2015 Selected
May 01, 2015 / UWRF NewsThe Ubud Writers and Readers Festival (UWRF) curatorial board have announced the names of 16 emerging Indonesian authors following months of selection process. The authors will be sponsored to attend and speak at this year’s ...
I read books by only minority authors for a year. It showed me just how white our reading world is.
Apr 24, 2015 / Washington Post by Sunili GovinnageReading more diverse literature has the power to convey the universality of human experience and show that we really have more in common with one another than expected. One of the best books I read last year was Indonesian author Dewi Lestari’s sci-fi epic “Supernova: The Knight, the Princess and the Falling Star,” a story presented through the eyes of two Indonesian men who meet while studying in Washington. The story is brilliant, and it proves that the West does not have a monopoly on technology, philosophy and love. Lestari’s novel could be set in any country with characters from any background; her ideas about modern lives and relationships truly transcend nationality. But unfortunately, while very popular in Indonesia, “Supernova” was largely absent from Western book reviews and literary circles.
Southeast Asia’s Brightest Voices to Flock to Jakarta
Mar 10, 2015 / Jakarta Globe by Kennial Caroline LaiaThe literary festival presented by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), will again come to town next week after its successful debut last year. Themed “Question of Conscience,” the Asean Literary Festival will be ...
Indonesian authors to be highlighted in Frankfurt
Feb 26, 2015 / Jakarta Post by Fedina S. SundaryaniAuthors from the country’s literary scene hope that Indonesia’s participation in this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany could bring more attention to local writers. As the guest of honor at the world’s largest book ...
The Lontar Foundation Publishes Modern Indonesian Classics
Feb 18, 2015 / Publishing Perspectives by Dennis AbramsPopmatters discusses the Modern Library of Indonesia series, published since 2010 by the Lontar Foundation, as well as the organization behind the books. At popmatters.com, William Gibson (no, not that William Gibson), reported on the Modern Library of Indonesia series, published since 2010 by the Lontar Foundation. Similar in purpose to the Library of America, it has the goal of both “preserving nearly-forgotten classics of Indonesian literature,” as well as presenting them, often for the first time in English, to an international audience. Or, as Gibson writes, “as a custodian of a unique culture amidst the crass commercial ephemera of global blockbuster media.”