She was born in Bogor (Nov 21, 1968), and currently lives in Jakarta
http://ayuutami.info/
View her profile on Goodreads, or follow her on Twitter
Photo courtesy / credit goes to WI/Ibnu SetiadiShe has written novels, short-stories, and articles. Saman (1998) is widely considered her masterpiece. It was translated into English by Pamela Allen in 2005. By writing about sex and politics, Utami addressed issues formerly forbidden to Indonesian women, a change referred to as sastra wangi.1
When she was a girl, after winning a beauty contest, she refused a career as a model, preferring to study and work in culture. A founding member of the Indonesian Alliance of Independent Journalists, a militant against the censorship of information, Ayu Utami currently works for several cultural reviews and magazines.2
Utami’s prose is lively and modern, and as such reflects the richness of the Indonesian oral tradition. The author masterfully switches between various narrative perspectives, locations and time scales, links dream sequences and old myths with descriptions of the political and societal relations in Indonesia in the 1990’s.3
Today Ayu is the co-publisher of the culture magazine Kalam.4
Book(s)
Indonesian Women Writers
Anthology
268 page(s), Regiospectra
Maya (Bilangan Fu #4)
Novel
249 page(s), Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia (KPG)
Kisah Orang-orang Scorpio (Seri Horoskop, #1)
Collection of Short Stories
225 page(s), Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia (KPG)
Larung
Novel
220 page(s), Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia (KPG)
Pengakuan: Eks Parasit Lajang
(The Confession)
Autobiographical
328 page(s), Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia (KPG)
Sirkus Sastra: Bunga Rampai Bienal Sastra Salihara 2013
Anthology
428 page(s), Komunitas Salihara
Lalita (Bilangan Fu #3)
Novel
256 page(s), Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia (KPG)
Cerita Cinta Enrico
(Enrico's Love Story)
Autobiographical
244 page(s), Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia (KPG)
Smokol: Cerpen Kompas Pilihan 2008
Collection of Short Stories
169 page(s), Penerbit Buku Kompas
Bilangan Fu
Novel
548 page(s), Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia (KPG)
Saman: A Novel
184 page(s), Equinox Publishing
Si Parasit Lajang: Seks, Sketsa, & Cerita
(The Single Parasite)
Autobiographical
180 page(s), Gagas Media
Saman
197 page(s), Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia (KPG)
What Media Say
Personal Histories, Sexual Politics: An Interview with Ayu Utami by Lara Norgaard — Asymptote (Dec 09, 2019)
Bookworm: Reading for Writing by Ika Krismantari — Jakarta Post (Jun 08, 2015)
Ayu Utami: Do Publishers Still Matter for Authors? — International Publishers Association (Feb 26, 2015)
Ayu Utami: On the fine line between audacity and honesty by Iman Mahditama — Jakarta Post (Oct 06, 2012)
Indonesian writer Ayu Utami: ‘Love is still the name of the game’ by Gie Goris — Mondiaal Nieuws (Aug 02, 2012)
Indonesian Writer & Activist Ayu Utami: ‘I love Indonesia with Pain in my Heart’ by Yvette Benningshof — Latitudes (May 23, 2012)
In Indonesia, ‘anti-porn’ may curtail basic freedoms by Soe Tjen Marching — Daily Star, The (Dec 01, 2008)
Ayu Utami: Explores her spiritual side by Prodita Sabarini — Jakarta Post (Jul 06, 2008)
Reading Ayu Utami: Notes toward a Study of Trauma and the Archive in Indonesia by Laurie J. Sears — J STOR (Apr 01, 2007)
A Young Novelist Challenges Indonesia’s Taboos by Jonathan Napack — New York Times (May 27, 2000)
Also Mentioned in ...
Five Indonesian authors you should read (or: Intan Paramaditha on the inescable politics of lists) by Intan Paramaditha - Literary Hub (Mar 08, 2019)
A writer’s festival in Makassar: The secret to its success — people power! by Jan Cornall - Personal Blog (May 09, 2018)
Latin America Under Spotlight at Salihara’s Literature and Ideas Festival - Jakarta Globe (Sep 20, 2017)
Five Minutes With… Pam Allen - UWRF News (May 07, 2017)
Rethinking Censorship in Indonesia by Tiffany Tsao - Sydney Review of Books (Nov 06, 2015)
The Contribution Of Indonesian Novels, Short Stories And Poetry Towards Tolerance As To The G-30-s Trauma by Alle G. Hoekema - Tribunal 1965 (Oct 21, 2015)
Time to shine for Indonesian literature by Yuliasri Perdani - Jakarta Post (Oct 18, 2015)
World meet Indonesian literature at the Buchmesse by Antonia Soriente - Il manifesto (Oct 15, 2015)
An introduction to the literature of Indonesia, 2015 Frankfurt Book Fair’s Guest of Honour by Manneke Budiman - Conversation (Oct 14, 2015)
Little-known Indonesian writers tackle taboos on world stage by Nick Perry - Jakarta Post (Oct 13, 2015)
“Indonesian literature has a lot to offer to the world” by Jasmin Kirkbride - BookBrunch (Aug 11, 2015)
A many-headed machine by Hendrik Maier - Inside Indonesia (Jul 17, 2015)
New aromas by Meghan Downes - Inside Indonesia (Jul 17, 2015)
Literature in Indonesia: A land without readers by Monika Griebeler - Qantara (May 29, 2015)
Putting the Word Out by Nithin Coca - Southeast Asia Globe (Oct 30, 2014)
Translating Indonesian Literature: Promoting Culture, Spreading Ideas, Fostering Change by Dirgantara Reksa Ginanjar - Personal Blog (Aug 07, 2014)
Indonesia as Frankfurt Book Fair Guest of Honor in 2015 by Hannah Johnson - Publishing Perspectives (Jul 16, 2013)
Why Aren’t More Indonesian Literary Works Published Abroad? by Richard Oh - Jakarta Globe (Jan 17, 2009)
Video(s)
Sydney Writers’ Festival: Mistakes We’ve Made and Other Lessons in Feminism