Scenario 1 I land in Jakarta just in time for Chinese New Year. I can smell the cigarette smoke and rain before the plane even touches the tarmac; my body retrieves memories faster than my mind can process them. I move through Arrivals in an easy forward motion: smile as the immigration … [Read more...]
Glori’s Witness
May 10, 2026 by
I am Glori’s medulla oblongata. Without me, Glori’s lungs and heart are an orchestra abandoned by its conductor. But now I’m half dead, so Glori depends on a ventilator to pump those needy lungs of hers. Glori ended up like this because of some brat in a white-and-blue school uniform, speeding … [Read more...]
Memoir recalls growing up under Suharto’s regime
May 8, 2026 by
Tari Lang writes about Indonesia’s 1965 coup in My Neighbour, The Dictator “A horrible thing happened in a very big country in a corner of the universe that nobody knew about.” That is how Tari Lang describes the 1965 coup in Indonesia in a Zoom call with The Sunday Times. Yet for her, it … [Read more...]
‘Perahu Kertas’: Sailing dreams from page to stage
January 25, 2026 by
For many readers, Perahu Kertas by Dewi “Dee” Lestari was not merely a novel, but a quiet companion during the uneasy years of what we now call adulting. Published in 2009, it follows university students Kugy and Keenan through friendship, love, ambition and the choices that shape their paths, a … [Read more...]
“Off the Radar,” an Oasis for Adventure Book Lovers
January 21, 2026 by
Trinity not only narrates adventures to other parts of the world. More personal narratives with social interactions are the strengths of the book "Di Luar Radar." After a long hiatus, author Trinity has satisfied her fans' longing with the release of Outside the Radar. More than an adventure, she … [Read more...]
