Norman Erikson Pasaribu is a poet and writer. His first poetry collection, Sergius Mencari Bacchus, was published in 2016 in his native Indonesia. Norman was approached by writer and translator Tiffany Tsao, and the pair then spent three years working together on Sergius Seeks Bacchus (2019), an … [Read more...]
Norman Erikson Pasaribu and Tiffany Tsao on translating via WhatsApp, green flying saucers, and queer liberation
January 30, 2024 by
Wasafiri Wonders: Khairani Barokka
January 30, 2024 by
‘I always wish there were more translations of poetry from Indonesian languages, especially in languages other than Indonesian, including from works that aren’t in book form to begin with. Indigenous forms of oral literatures that could be preserved in text form as well, while maintaining the … [Read more...]
Art as a Medium of Resistance
January 18, 2024 by
The tropical ‘attitude’ that brings together two regions in rejection of European colonialism With over 200 works on display, spanning the course of a stuttering twentieth-century modernity, this is something of a sprawling exhibition. Like its subject: the territories that span the eastern and … [Read more...]
Indonesian book giant turns to tech to fight piracy
January 9, 2024 by
Indonesian conglomerate Kompas Gramedia's book publishing unit is optimistic that blockchain technology can help it fight persistent online content piracy, as it also works to overcome challenges including lifting reading levels and reducing regional pricing discrepancies in the sprawling island … [Read more...]
Wasafiri at Large: Indonesian Writers and Mental Health
January 7, 2024 by
In its inaugural year, Wasafiri was joined by five Editors at Large based in Southeast Asia and Aotearoa New Zealand. As part of our Wasafiri at Large series, each Editor at Large has shed a valuable light on their local literary scene. Sebastian Partogi, our former Editor at Large – based in … [Read more...]
