Monkey Army

Eka Kurniawan explores grief, rage, and interspecies violence against the backdrop of an Indonesian mining operation.

Published in Granta, 2024


Author

Eka Kurniawan was born in Tasikmalaya, Indonesia, in 1975. He studied philosophy at Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, and is the author of novels, short stories, essays, movie scripts, and graphic novels. His novel Man Tiger was longlisted for the Man Booker International Prize 2016, and his work has been translated into thirty-four languages. His epic novel of magical realism, Beauty is a Wound, described as a “howling masterpiece” by Chigozie Obioma in the Millions, has been widely praised internationally. The New York Review of Books considers Kurniawan “a literary child of Günter Grass, Gabriel García Márquez, and Salman Rushdie,” and Le Monde has suggested that in the future, Nobel jurors may award him the prize “that Indonesia has never received.”

 

 
 
 
 

Anna and Her Daughter’s Partner

Anna, a middle-class, middle-aged Jakarta woman is wrestling with the dissatisfactions of her own life and her feelings about her grown daughter's acculturation. Despite her own dampered bitterness, during her daughter's brief homecoming from London, she is blindsided by an eruption of desire and tenderness

Published in Words Without Borders, 2023


Author

Laksmi Pamuntjak is an Indonesian novelist, poet, journalist, food critic and literary art curator. She has written on politics and culture for numerous publications including the Guardian. Her bestselling debut novel, Amba: The Question of Red (Gramedia, 2013), won Germany’s LiBeraturpreis. The award-winning movie adaptation of her bestselling second novel, Aruna dan Lidahnya (Gramedia, 2014 translated as The Birdwoman’s Palate, Amazon Crossing 2018), can be viewed on Netflix. Laksmi is also the author of the award-winning Jakarta Good Food Guide series, Indonesia’s first independent food guide (Pena Klasik, 2001, 2002, 2008, 2010). Pamuntjak’s first English novel, Fall Baby (Penguin Random House SEA, 2019) won the 2020 Singapore Book Award for Best Literary Work. Pamuntjak’s latest work is the short story collection Kitab Kawin (Gramedia, 2021), about women in relationships. Since 2021, Pamuntjak has been hosting Podcast Kitab Kawin, based on stories in the book.

 

 
 
 
 

The Tale of Mukaburung

A short story about the doomed romance between an indigenous Buru woman and a political prisoner exiled to the island from Java.

Published in Asymptote Journal, 2022


Author

Laksmi Pamuntjak is an Indonesian novelist, poet, journalist, food critic and literary art curator. She has written on politics and culture for numerous publications including the Guardian. Her bestselling debut novel, Amba: The Question of Red (Gramedia, 2013), won Germany’s LiBeraturpreis. The award-winning movie adaptation of her bestselling second novel, Aruna dan Lidahnya (Gramedia, 2014 translated as The Birdwoman’s Palate, Amazon Crossing 2018), can be viewed on Netflix. Laksmi is also the author of the award-winning Jakarta Good Food Guide series, Indonesia’s first independent food guide (Pena Klasik, 2001, 2002, 2008, 2010). Pamuntjak’s first English novel, Fall Baby (Penguin Random House SEA, 2019) won the 2020 Singapore Book Award for Best Literary Work. Pamuntjak’s latest work is the short story collection Kitab Kawin (Gramedia, 2021), about women in relationships. Since 2021, Pamuntjak has been hosting Podcast Kitab Kawin, based on stories in the book.

 

 
 
 
 

Letters and Fists

Excerpts from the writer’s blog reflection on reading, writing, the literary world, and daily life.

Published in The Baffler, 2022


Author

Eka Kurniawan was born in Tasikmalaya, Indonesia, in 1975. He studied philosophy at Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, and is the author of novels, short stories, essays, movie scripts, and graphic novels. His novel Man Tiger was longlisted for the Man Booker International Prize 2016, and his work has been translated into thirty-four languages. His epic novel of magical realism, Beauty is a Wound, described as a “howling masterpiece” by Chigozie Obioma in the Millions, has been widely praised internationally. The New York Review of Books considers Kurniawan “a literary child of Günter Grass, Gabriel García Márquez, and Salman Rushdie,” and Le Monde has suggested that in the future, Nobel jurors may award him the prize “that Indonesia has never received.”

 

 
 
 
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Everything Ashen

An excerpt from the novel Dawuk by Mahfud Ikhwan, which won Indonesia’s prestigious Khatulistiwa Literary Award in 2017, portraying a vicious act of vigilante justice born from generations of strife and environmental injustice in an Indonesian village.

Published in The Washington Square Review.


Author

Mahfud Ikhwan is an award-winning author who has written four novels, numerous short stories, and popular news columns. His two popular blogs, one on Bollywood film and one on soccer, have each led to book compilations of his posts. Indonesian language readers can follow his writing online at his blogs, Dushman Duniya Ka, Belakang Gawang, and his column for Mojok magazine.

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Rice

An illustrated short showcasing Bandung-born artist and writer R.E Hartanto’s signature black humor. Two friends get stranded on a desert island and everything is going surprisingly OK… until one starts to hoard a secret stash of rice.

Published in Popula, 2018


Author

R.E. Hartanto is an artist and writer currently living in Central Java. He earned his painting degree from the Faculty of Fine Arts & Design, Bandung Institute of Technology. He has exhibited his work widely and attended numerous artist residencies, both nationally and internationally. He teaches art and maintains an art blog.

 

 
 
 
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O Chapter 2

The second chapter from Eka's latest novel, featuring a feisty monkey on a quest to become human that takes her through the darkest corners of Jakarta.

Freeman's Power Issue, October 2018


Author

Eka Kurniawan was born in Tasikmalaya, Indonesia, in 1975. He studied philosophy at Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, and is the author of novels, short stories, essays, movie scripts, and graphic novels. His novel Man Tiger was longlisted for the Man Booker International Prize 2016, and his work has been translated into thirty-four languages. His epic novel of magical realism, Beauty is a Wound, described as a “howling masterpiece” by Chigozie Obioma in the Millions, has been widely praised internationally. The New York Review of Books considers Kurniawan “a literary child of Günter Grass, Gabriel García Márquez, and Salman Rushdie,” and Le Monde has suggested that in the future, Nobel jurors may award him the prize “that Indonesia has never received.”

 

 
 
 
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Beggar Robot

An illustrated short showcasing Bandung-born artist and writer R.E Hartanto’s signature black humor. A thug, recently evicted from his Jakarta slum, gets a scholarship to pursue his M.A in Mysticism.

Published in Popula, 2018


Author

R.E. Hartanto is an artist and writer currently living in Central Java. He earned his painting degree from the Faculty of Fine Arts & Design, Bandung Institute of Technology. He has exhibited his work widely and attended numerous artist residencies, both nationally and internationally. He teaches art and maintains an art blog.

 

 
 
 
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The King and His Beloved Dog

An illustrated short showcasing Bandung-born artist and writer R.E Hartanto’s signature black humor. A king adores his guard dog, but the beast is accused of a horrific crime.

Published in Popula, 2018


Author

R.E. Hartanto is an artist and writer currently living in Central Java. He earned his painting degree from the Faculty of Fine Arts & Design, Bandung Institute of Technology. He has exhibited his work widely and attended numerous artist residencies, both nationally and internationally. He teaches art and maintains an art blog.

 

 
 
 
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Koh Suh

A short story that addresses the traumas of 1965 through the story of a fabled dish of fried rice.

Published in The Margins, November 2017


Author

Puthut Ea is an author of short stories, novels, plays, essays, and journalism. He has published fifteen books, including the short story compilation Drama Itu Berkisah Terlalu Jauh (That Drama Has Gone Too Far, 2014) from which “Koh Su” was translated. He also researches social issues and serves as an educator for various nonprofits throughout Indonesia. He is the founder and manager of the alternative media website http://www.mojok.co. He currently lives in Yogyakarta.

 

 
 
 
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Easing Into a Long Sleep

A short story about loss and acceptance inspired by the author's relationship with his father.

Published in Vice Magazine, 2017


Author

Eka Kurniawan was born in Tasikmalaya, Indonesia, in 1975. He studied philosophy at Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, and is the author of novels, short stories, essays, movie scripts, and graphic novels. His novel Man Tiger was longlisted for the Man Booker International Prize 2016, and his work has been translated into thirty-four languages. His epic novel of magical realism, Beauty is a Wound, described as a “howling masterpiece” by Chigozie Obioma in the Millions, has been widely praised internationally. The New York Review of Books considers Kurniawan “a literary child of Günter Grass, Gabriel García Márquez, and Salman Rushdie,” and Le Monde has suggested that in the future, Nobel jurors may award him the prize “that Indonesia has never received.”

 

 
 
 
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Auntie and Rotten Stench

Two short stories, one about a beloved Aunt with a secret and the other a sensory evocation of the open secret of Indonesia's traumatic mass killings.

Published in Columbia Journal, 2017


Author

Eka Kurniawan was born in Tasikmalaya, Indonesia, in 1975. He studied philosophy at Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, and is the author of novels, short stories, essays, movie scripts, and graphic novels. His novel Man Tiger was longlisted for the Man Booker International Prize 2016, and his work has been translated into thirty-four languages. His epic novel of magical realism, Beauty is a Wound, described as a “howling masterpiece” by Chigozie Obioma in the Millions, has been widely praised internationally. The New York Review of Books considers Kurniawan “a literary child of Günter Grass, Gabriel García Márquez, and Salman Rushdie,” and Le Monde has suggested that in the future, Nobel jurors may award him the prize “that Indonesia has never received.”

 

 
 
 
Photo by Cherry Styles

Photo by Cherry Styles

 

Kitchen Curse

Short story about a housewife who discovers the culinary weaponry of her defiant ancestors.

Published in limited edition print run with original artwork via the UK-based Swimmers Project, 2017


Author

Eka Kurniawan was born in Tasikmalaya, Indonesia, in 1975. He studied philosophy at Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, and is the author of novels, short stories, essays, movie scripts, and graphic novels. His novel Man Tiger was longlisted for the Man Booker International Prize 2016, and his work has been translated into thirty-four languages. His epic novel of magical realism, Beauty is a Wound, described as a “howling masterpiece” by Chigozie Obioma in the Millions, has been widely praised internationally. The New York Review of Books considers Kurniawan “a literary child of Günter Grass, Gabriel García Márquez, and Salman Rushdie,” and Le Monde has suggested that in the future, Nobel jurors may award him the prize “that Indonesia has never received.”

 

 
 
 
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Dimples

A short story about the melancholy fate of a young girl who gets married off to the village sorcerer.

Published in The White Review, 2016


Author

Eka Kurniawan was born in Tasikmalaya, Indonesia, in 1975. He studied philosophy at Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, and is the author of novels, short stories, essays, movie scripts, and graphic novels. His novel Man Tiger was longlisted for the Man Booker International Prize 2016, and his work has been translated into thirty-four languages. His epic novel of magical realism, Beauty is a Wound, described as a “howling masterpiece” by Chigozie Obioma in the Millions, has been widely praised internationally. The New York Review of Books considers Kurniawan “a literary child of Günter Grass, Gabriel García Márquez, and Salman Rushdie,” and Le Monde has suggested that in the future, Nobel jurors may award him the prize “that Indonesia has never received.”