Seno Gumira Ajidarma is one of the big names in Indonesia’s literary world, many of his works have gained critical acclaim. Negeri Kabut, first published in 1996, is one of them, having been awarded the 1997 Indonesian Literary Prize for the best short-story collection. To “celebrate the passion for … [Read more...]
Examining Indonesia’s collective trauma
May 24, 2017 by
Years after the 1965 tragedy, which started with the kidnapping and murder of several military generals, the issues remain sensitive. The now-defunct Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) was blamed for the killings. Revenge by the military caused the deaths of between 500,000 and 1 million alleged … [Read more...]
Man of Letters: Goenawan Mohamad’s Faith in Writing: Forty Years of Essays
May 21, 2017 by
Simple yet attractive—that is my first impression of this book. The cover immediately grabs my attention: the image of a man composed of letters is a brilliant way to tell readers that the author, Goenawan Mohamad, is himself a man of letters. The second thing that piques my interest is the … [Read more...]
And the War is Over, by Ismail Marahimin, translated by John H. McGlynn
May 17, 2017 by
This short novel of 192 pages came to my attention because I had read the short stories of Lily Yulianti Faridand discovered the Lontar Foundation, which seeks to enhance the profile of Indonesian writing by fostering its translation into English. There are not many titles to choose from at Amazon, … [Read more...]
What do you have to sacrifice to be a “grown up”?
May 5, 2017 by
In 1999, Keenan and Kugy start university in Indonesia. Keenan is being forced to go by his father. Keenan wants to be an artist but his father wants him to take business courses in order to have a real career. Kugy wants to be a writer. She’s been writing fairy tales her whole life. Kugy … [Read more...]