Apple and Knife is an engrossing collection of short stories by Intan Paramaditha, translated into English from Indonesian for the first time by Stephen J. Epstein. I found myself so absorbed in the tales that I repeatedly lost track of time while reading. Fairytales, mythology, bits of horror and … [Read more...]

Reading Nirzona, a novel by Indonesian writer Abidah El Khalieqy, may supply us with a deeper understanding of love and differences, and at the same time may also strengthen our feelings of national unity, which seems to have decreased, recently. In the vague global culture, Nirzona is a clear … [Read more...]

Published in 1940, Belenggu (or Shackles in its English reincarnation) is widely considered the first modern Indonesian novel. I agree with this assessment. Prior, Indonesian prose focused on the dramatic romances of star-crossed lovers with rotten villains twirling metaphorical moustaches. Granted, … [Read more...]

When you hear the term “Indonesian woman”, what comes to mind? When Sihir Perempuan was published in 2005, Intan Paramaditha was only twenty-five and on the verge of leaving Indonesia for graduate studies in the United States. She has been wandering ever since. However, her debut collection of … [Read more...]

Eriang visits a remote village with his father, a doctor, on a mercy mission. From the architecture and headdress worn by the womenfolk, this community seems to be Minangkabau. Furthermore, the village chief is a woman: the Minangkabau are largest matrilineal society in the world. Drought has … [Read more...]