The meaning of nation is never far from Goenawan Mohamad's thoughts. It infiltrates even his most personal reflections. "Sometimes I wonder what could possibly have crossed my father's mind in the few moments before he was executed," begins one essay in this collection. "Sometimes I imagine that the … [Read more...]
A hidden literary gem
July 3, 2016 by
Indonesia′s literary shooting star, Eka Kurniawan, recently longlisted for the Man Booker International Prize, is already being hailed as Pramoedya Ananta Toer′s successor. Although ″Beauty is a wound″ was published in 2002, Kurniawan has only recently gained international recognition with its … [Read more...]
Book Review: When technology takes over human life
July 3, 2016 by
How do you explain technology and its presence in human life? Okky Madasari does it well in her latest novel, Kerumunan Terakhir (The Last Crowd). Like her previous novels, Kerumunan Terakhir also tells the story of a victim of repression. But this time, the victim -- as well as the story's … [Read more...]
From Now On Everything Will Be Different, by Eliza Vitri Handayani
February 15, 2016 by
Some of you may have heard about this novel for all the wrong reasons: The launch of From Now On Everything Will Be Different by Eliza Vitri Handayani at the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2015 was cancelled after warnings from local police, ostensibly because of references to the 1965-66 … [Read more...]
The Red Bekisar by Ahmad Tohari
February 7, 2016 by
This English translation of popular Indonesian author Ahmad Tohari’s Bekisar Merah (2011) tells the story of Indonesian rural women from the mid-twentieth century faced with economic and social changes that arise domestically, such as the advent of electricity and mechanization, and through … [Read more...]