The Indonesian Marxist and anti-colonial revolutionary Tan Malaka (1894-1949) exists in two forms, real and fictional. The real Tan Malaka was born around 1894 and had two spells at the forefront of Indonesian politics, first in the early 1920s, when he was a leader of the Communist Union of the … [Read more...]
A quick interview with Kate Wakeling, co-translator of ‘The Adventures of Na Willa’
August 23, 2020 by
It's launch week for our latest children’s book, The Adventures of Na Willa, a collection of stories about a little girl growing up in Surabaya, Indonesia. Here's a quick interview with one of the translators, Kate Wakeling! What were your first thoughts on reading The Adventures of Na … [Read more...]
Icon of Indonesian Literature Sapardi Djoko Damono Passes Away
August 23, 2020 by
Indonesian literature has lost one of its leading figures, eminent poet Sapardi Djoko Damono, who passed away Sunday, July 19. He was 80. “[Sapardi] died of natural causes,” said his relative Nana Subianto, prior to interring him at Giritama cemetery in Bogor, West Java. “He was treated at the Eka … [Read more...]
World Kid Lit Review: The Adventures of Na Willa
August 23, 2020 by
“D’you know what, Mummy? That book is actually far more interesting than I thought it was going to be.” Praise for Na Willa from a nine-year-old boy. Na Willa is a slender volume from Indonesia, written by Reda Gaudiamo and translated by Ikhda Ayuning Maharsi Degoul and Kate Wakeling, with … [Read more...]
An Indonesian Poet Uses Queer Catholic Saints to Create an Alternative Gospel
August 23, 2020 by
Norman Erikson Pasaribu on being a multiple outsider and searching for liberation in “Sergius Seeks Bacchus”. Norman Erikson Pasaribu was born and raised in Jakarta, Indonesia but his roots lie in the ethnic Christian Batak community of Sumatra; his family represents the many strands of internal … [Read more...]
