Indonesians who grew up in the 1990s will still remember the impact that Ayu Utami’s debut novel Saman had. The novel was published just nine days before the totalitarian New Order regime of Soeharto was overthrown on May 21, 1998, after retaining power for 32 years. The novel sheds light on … [Read more...]
Leila Chudori’s New Novel Speaks About Missing 1998 Activists
More than 500 silent rallies have already been held in front of the State Palace, each Thursday, demanding that the government investigate well-known cases of human rights abuses, including the disappearance of activists during the 1998 protests against Suharto's regime. "The Sea Speaks His … [Read more...]
Eka Kurniawan Celebrates 15 Years of ‘Cantik Itu Luka’ With New Cover
Indonesia's largest book publishing company Gramedia Pustaka Utama celebrated the 15th anniversary of Eka Kurniawan’s best selling novel "Cantik itu Luka," or "Beauty Is a Wound," at Kinokuniya book store in South Jakarta on Thursday (14/12). In conjunction with the event, Gramedia released a … [Read more...]
‘Manusia Istana’: More than just a poetry reading
Poetry readings are usually solemn with hardly any dramatization from the readers. Their main focus is usually on the artistic delivery of the poems alone. That’s why poetry readings usually appeal only to those who consider themselves literary and poetry enthusiasts. But what happens when the … [Read more...]