With a series of books and award-winning films behind him, Noor Huda Ismail is a respected academic in the study of terrorism in Indonesia. He also founded the Yayasan Prasasti Perdamaian, a foundation dedicated to the deradicalization of former terrorists through livelihood support, coaching and … [Read more...]
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Indonesian novel 24 Hours With Gaspar melds detective fiction and sci-fi
August 26, 2023
A blend of detective fiction and science fiction, 24 Hours With Gaspar reads like an Indonesian pulp fiction novel. The bulk of Indonesian writer Sabda Armandio’s slim novel follows the indecipherable and aloof Gaspar as he counts down 24 hours before he robs a jewellery store. He is looking, in … [Read more...]
Birth Canal
August 24, 2023
The Jakarta sky “had a rosy nuance that somehow seemed both warm and sad, like a freshly slapped cheek” the day a stranger, a photographer, told Nastiti that she was incredibly beautiful and took her picture. She enjoys a moment of glamour when the photo appears in a trendy exhibition and in a … [Read more...]
Jezebels, Jazz and Rijsttafel
August 24, 2023
Dear readers, I never witnessed my grandmothers interact — I don’t think they were ever in the same time zone together, or even the same continent — but they managed to present a united front about some essential principles. Hardly anyone was entitled to privacy, and very few stories could get by … [Read more...]
‘Indonesia Out of Exile’ shines light on literary masterpiece
July 16, 2023
Imagine being a young Australian Embassy official having your first look at hundreds of rough, tattered pages smuggled out of a remote island prison camp and quickly recognizing it as one of the literary masterpieces of the 20th century -- a seminal work of historical fiction and postcolonial … [Read more...]