Media Clippings
A compilation of every mention of Indonesian writers, written on English/foreign-language media. See also What Media Say.
Rewriting the story of 1965
Jun 08, 2014 / Jakarta Post by Andreas D. ArdityaIn his book, Kekerasan Budaya Pasca 1965: Bagaimana Orde Baru Melegitimasi Anti-Komunisme Melalui Sastra dan Film (Post-1965 Cultural Violence: How the New Order Legitimized Anti-communism Through Literature and Film), Wijaya said the regime implemented a prolonged political campaign, which was culturally aggressive, to legitimize violence against communists and their supporters during and after 1965. 'The regime justified its violence through films, museums, dioramas, monuments, commemoration days, course material, school books, history books and literature,' he said.
A Look Into Makassar’s Literary Culture
May 26, 2014 / Jakarta Globe by Sylviana Hamdani"It’s a brave step to organize an international festival in the middle of nowhere,” said Lily, with a laugh. “But it’s a great starting point to develop new literary talents in the city." About 30 Indonesian and international writers have been invited to the four-day festival.
Kate Griffin: Taking literature to a new level
Apr 28, 2014 / Jakarta Post by Niken PrathiviA self-professed book lover, Kate Griffin travels the world to discover inspiring literature. When she finds them, Griffin, who is the international program director for the British Center for Literary Translation (BCLT), makes them available in English. “When people find out that I work for the BCLT, they often assume I’m a translator myself. But I’m not. I’m a reader,” Griffin says. BCLT was set up in 1989 by the German writer, WG Sebald, at the University of East Anglia. BCLT is a small center, but it works with a lot of partners in the UK and around the world.
Indonesian books, crossing continents
Apr 06, 2014 / Jakarta Post by Niken PrathiviIndonesia is a culturally rich country, as evidenced by the growing number of literary works. However, at the international level, Indonesian letters are still underappreciated — something that can be attributed to the dearth of ...
Frankfurt Book Fair 2015: How serious is Indonesia in promoting its culture, literature?
Apr 06, 2014 / Jakarta Post by Niken PrathiviAt the Frankfurt Book Fair 2015, Indonesia will be the event’s guest of honor, offering the nation a chance to show the world that it has tremendous wealth of culture and literature. The event will ...
Jakarta’s ASEAN Literary Festival Spotlights Regional Realities
Apr 01, 2014 / Publishing Perspectives by Claudia KaiserIndonesia holds several literature festivals, including the Ubud Litarture Festival on Bali and another in Makassar, amongst others. But earlier this month from, March 21-23, the capital Jakarta played host to the first ASEAN Literary ...
A Proud, Strong Woman
Jan 31, 2014 / Personal Blog by Bryce AlcockSuprati Achdiat 1917 – 2014 On 16 January 2014, Suprati Achdiat passed away in Canberra at the age of 96. Suprati Noor, known as Tati, was the first child of a prominent business couple in ...
Literary award gives nod to historically themed work
Nov 27, 2013 / Jakarta Post by Meghan DownesAs a bow to literary works that highlight controversial parts of Indonesian history, the Khatulistiwa Award honoured on Tuesday author Leila S. Chudori and poet Afrizal Malna, whose works shed light on the country’s past. ...
In Indonesia: discovering the literature
Nov 03, 2013 / DAWN by Aamer HusseinLast week, I had lunch with my friend Laksmi in Covent Garden. She was on her way from Jakarta to Paris; I was just about to take a train to Lancaster where I was to read that evening. Laksmi, who has written both poetry and prose in English, decided a little over a year ago to write an epic novel in her native language. It took her only four months. The book is a reworking of the story of Bhishma and Amba from the Mahabharata, set in the tumultuous period of 1965 which saw the fall of Soekarno and the rise of Suharto’s new regime in Indonesia. It was an immediate success both critically and commercially. She’s just about to publish the English version, and was carrying a proof.
‘Women of Letters’ revives lost art with new voices
Oct 31, 2013 / Jakarta Post by Novia D. Rulistia'Dear all the women over the entire span of human history, I wish I knew how to help. 'But not much has changed in some respects; why is there even the so called progressive society when women are still blamed and shamed; I wish I knew what to do [...]' So said award-winning Australian poet Emilie Zoey Baker as she read aloud a letter showing her concerns about the current conditions facing women, which apparently have not changed much since the old days. The reading was part of a recent performance at the Salihara Theater in South Jakarta, where the audience was invited to follow the journey of women through time through their own words. Some of the letters gave voice to anger. Others generated laughter.