Poet Pasaribu makes their English-language debut with a remarkable collection of speculative and absurdist fiction incorporating Batak and Christian culture. In an introductory note, Pasaribu riffs on the Indonesian word hampir (almost), and its implications for queer people (“What does it mean to … [Read more...]

“I have a vision for modern Indonesian cuisine,” writes Pandean-Elliott (Jakarta Bites) in this comprehensive exploration of her homeland’s major gastronomic regions: “to preserve the great traditions of classic recipes while exploring exciting, new possibilities.” The U.K.-based chef identifies … [Read more...]

As my commitment to the world of literacy, I always try to write reviews of books I read in English using Bahasa Indonesia. And since I am going to review an Indonesian book, I will deliberately review the book in English. Burung-Burung manyar is a novel by Y.B. Mangunwijaya which was first … [Read more...]

Slowly but surely building a reputation as one of the most prolific and versatile writers in the industry, Jesse Q. Sutanto’s new book Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers will be released on March 14. It started with a rather vague idea that one night fluttered around writer Jesse Q. … [Read more...]

Finally, I came to read this book which is considered one of the highest achievements in Indonesian literature. Set in the end of 19th century during Dutch colonialism in Indies (Indonesia), this book highlights the injustice imposed upon Indonesians (particularly the Javanese) by the Dutch for … [Read more...]