Eka Kurniawan’s op-ed about the protests in Papua and throughout Indonesia sparked by a racist incident last month is now available in my translation here for the New York Times International.
Jakarta International Literary Festival
I was delighted to be called upon to translate the curatorial comments for the upcoming inaugural Jakarta International Literary Festival offered by Eka Kurniawan, who is a member of the curatorial team. I only wish I could attend, as the festival looks like it has a stellar line up of Indonesian and international speakers and program events. I’m very sad to miss it but hope to go in future years!
Association for the Study of Literature and the Environment Translation Grant
A manuscript that I am working on, working title Dawuk: A Dark Tale from Cottonwood Grove by Mahfud Ikhwan was awarded a 2019 Translation Grant from the Association for the Study of Literature and the Environment. ASLE translation grants support work in fiction ecocriticism from international scholars translating books or other substantial projects into English. Dawuk is a wonderful fit for the award; published by the independent Indonesian press Marjin Kiri, it is a tale of love, murder, and revenge told against the backdrop of local political intrigue and social strife stemming from a long history of environmental corruption. The novel has an unforgettable narrator, lyrical descriptions of the natural world, and numerous surprises. This grant will help usher the translation to completion and hopefully, to swift publication in English!
Lithub Recommends Beauty is a Wound
Indonesia is the Market Focus Country for the London Book Fair this year, and in celebration Lithub published a list by Inthan Pramaditha, a noteworthy Indonesian author in her own right, about five Indonesian novels not to be missed. In addition to Beauty is a Wound there are a range of titles worth exploring, including the (in)famous now-classic Saman by Ayu Utami and translated by Pamela Allen, and recent Sergius seeks Bacchus by Norman Pasaribu, translated by Tiffany Tsao.