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To mark National Book Day on Friday, we are delving into the world of literature to highlight some of the country’s best authors.
As the clouds descend upon Jakarta, similar to how Alice retreats to wonderland and Wendy flies off to Neverland, we are retreating to our separate rooms and touring the country through books all weekend long.
Come join our journey with these amazing local authors.
Eka established his idiosyncratic, magical realist style with his debut on the bestseller list, Cantik Itu Luka (Beauty is a Wound). The book instantly became a classic, earning him an S.E.A. Write award from Thailand and another accolade in the 2016 World Readers Awards.
His second novel catapulted his reputation, with Foreign Policy Journal naming him one of the 100 most influential thinkers in the world in 2015. More recognition followed in March 2016, when Lelaki Harimau (Man Tiger: A Novel) became the first Indonesian book to be nominated for the prestigious Man Booker International Prize.
His latest novel, Kaplan Adam, did not disappoint, as his skills have only grown as time has gone by. Whether it's one of his novels or short stories, step into the wilderness and leave with a new understanding of the little things that make life chaotically beautiful.
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An author who needs no introduction, the prolific Leila Chudori made a name for herself at a young age through short stories published in various magazines and newspapers, as well as her journalism work for Tempo.
Laut Bercerita (The Sea Speaks His Name), arguably Leila’s most famous work to date and the one that made her the Indonesian winner of the 2020 Southeast Asian Writers Award, tells a fictional account of kidnapped student activists at the tail end of the Soeharto regime in 1998. Her latest novel, Namaku Alam Jilid 1, is a spinoff of the 2013 Pulang, which itself is set against the backdrop of the Sept. 30 movement of 1965, the May 1968 civil unrest in France and Indonesia’s May 1998 riots.
Leila’s journalistic know-how is front and center through the extensive background research done for her books, but her ability to weave a compelling narrative into stories that ask important questions is what keeps readers coming back for more.
Did you know that the acclaimed author of Gadis Kretek (Cigarette Girl) is a descendant of a cigarette factory owner? Now you do.
Ratih spent four years researching the kretek (clove cigarette) industry and gave us her talent in the most beautiful way: in the form of literature that portrays Indonesian life from bygone eras and the strength of a woman despite tremendous hardships.
Seamlessly moving through time, Ratih can write stories with a 15th century setting and then move on to a more modern era in another story. All her books seem to have one thing in common that we need to pay attention to: the power of love in all forms.
As for accolades, Ratih won the Jakarta Arts Council's Novel Competition in 2003 with Tabula Rasa and was included in the top five prose nominees for the Khatulistiwa Literary Award for Gadis Kretek in 2013, along with making the top ten for Bastian dan Jamur Ajaib (Bastian and the Magic Mushroom) in 2015.
She more recently made waves as one of the two Indonesian women writers who took part in the London Book Fair (LBF) in 2019, where she shared her work Potion in Twilight.
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Introducing herself as a banker and writer, Ika has built a name for herself, both on the bestseller list and on the silver screen. Cases in point: Susah Sinyal, Twivortiare and the Architect of Love.
For her first novel, A Very Yuppy Wedding, released in 2008, she was nominated for the Talented Young Writer recognition in the Khatulistiwa Literary Awards, and the book was named the editor's choice of Cosmopolitan Indonesia magazine. In 2004, she became one of the finalists for the Fun Fearless Female distinction in Cosmopolitan Indonesia, and in 2010, she received the Women Icon award from The Marketeers.
Meanwhile, her novel Heartbreak Motel has cemented her place as one of Indonesia’s favorite authors, as readers follow Ava’s story of figuring out the true meaning of life, love and fate.
If you ask us, this author and his work deserve more attention.
The founder of Yayasan Indonesia Buku, Muhidin has published over 20 books under his name. The writer and poet is considered controversial for the right reasons. Perhaps his best-known book, Tuhan, Izinkan Aku Menjadi Pelacur! (God, Let Me Be a Prostitute!) explores a woman’s faith and relationship with God and religion throughout the highs and lows of her life.
The novel was made into a movie, similarly titled Tuhan, Izinkan Aku Berdosa (God, Let Me Sin!), which was named one of the official selections for Jakarta Film Week 2023 and for the 2023 Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival.
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