Hard on the heels of The Idealist, Nicholas José’s new novel set in 1990s East Timor, (2023, see my review) comes another historical novel set in our region… Like The Idealist Mirandi Riwoe’s Sunbirds is set in the turbulent period shortly before decolonisation, but her novel is set during WW2 on … [Read more...]
Announcing Our September Book Club Selection: Birth Canal by Dias Novita Wuri
October 5, 2023 by
To resist, the women in Birth Canal—as object of desire, porn actress, and sex worker—must stare back in their own fashion. . . In an intricately woven novel of generational legacies, untold inheritances, and our multivalent history, Indonesian author Dias Novita Wuri navigates the matrixes of … [Read more...]
‘Narasi Mematikan’: Undoing a deadly narrative
September 2, 2023 by
With a series of books and award-winning films behind him, Noor Huda Ismail is a respected academic in the study of terrorism in Indonesia. He also founded the Yayasan Prasasti Perdamaian, a foundation dedicated to the deradicalization of former terrorists through livelihood support, coaching and … [Read more...]
Indonesian novel 24 Hours With Gaspar melds detective fiction and sci-fi
August 26, 2023 by
A blend of detective fiction and science fiction, 24 Hours With Gaspar reads like an Indonesian pulp fiction novel. The bulk of Indonesian writer Sabda Armandio’s slim novel follows the indecipherable and aloof Gaspar as he counts down 24 hours before he robs a jewellery store. He is looking, in … [Read more...]