Jakarta. The Frankfurt Book Fair that takes place in Germany in October this year is not the only time where Indonesia will step into the spotlight on an international stage. A month before the fair kicks off, a vibrant festival called “Discover Indonesia” will be held in three cities throughout the United Kingdom: London, Glasgow and Cardiff.

Billed as the largest showcase of Indonesian performing arts ever presented in the UK, “Discover Indonesia” is curated by Cryptic, a Glasgow-based producing art house with international recognition.

“I have always been struck by the variety and richness of Indonesian culture and heritage, much of which we rarely have an opportunity to experience here in the UK,” says Cathie Boyd, artistic director of Cryptic.

“In presenting ‘Discover Indonesia,’ we bring together under one umbrella event some of the most exciting creativity the region has to offer and in the process further develop this work and these important cultural links for future years.”

Together with a number of partner organizations, the diverse program, presented in all three cities, includes performances and works by visual artists, traditional dancers, theater performers and writers. With an emphasis on performing and visual arts, combining both traditional and contemporary formats, “Discover Indonesia” aims to explore opportunities for cross-cultural learning and international dialogue.

“’Discover Indonesia’ is [an] ambitious project, creating a relationship stretching from Glasgow, Cardiff, London and onto Indonesia,” says Leonie Bell, director of arts and engagement at Creative Scotland, the public body which supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of the country.

Indonesian artists Jompet Kuswidananto and Jim Allen Abel will showcase their works “Grand Parade” and “Uniform Code,” respectively.

Jompet, born in 1976 in Yogyakarta, is no stranger to presenting his works abroad. After the success of his exhibition in Amsterdam, he will bring his “Grand Parade” — a unique spectacle of light, sound and movement — to the UK. One of Indonesia’s most talked-about artists of the past years, Jompet explores issues of Javanese cultural transformation as well as the Indonesian era of “Reformasi” — which came after the fall of the repressive Suharto regime.

Jim Allen Abel explores the idea of how a uniform is often used to obscure the existence of individuals and their distinctive roles in constituting a bigger entity. He became interested in the topic after conversations with his father, who as a teacher and therefore civil servant, gave up his individuality and merged with others to build a “civil servant corps.”

Another highlight of “Discover Indonesia” is a performance by Yogyakarta’s renowned puppet theater Papermoon. Founded in 2006 by Maria Tri Sulistyani, or Ria, and Iwan Effendi, the creative duo have shown in their productions that puppet theater is more than just child’s play.

Not shying away from exploring controversial themes of Indonesia’s history, Papermoon’s productions are whimsical, yet bold, and always thought-provoking. Ria and Iwan try to engage with their audiences on-site and often perform on the spot at bus stops and local markets, as they strongly believe that their art form should be accessible to all different groups of people.

Papermoon will present “Mwathirika” during the Discover Indonesia festival, which tells the story of a family living in times of political turmoil, set against the backdrop of the anti-communist purge in Indonesia in 1965.

Writer and poet Goenawan Mohamad will also travel to the UK to be part of “Discover Indonesia” by joining several discussions. Music performances by Yogyakarta’s Senyawa and Kande from Aceh, as well as a film festival celebrating the work of independent film-maker and sound explorer Vincent Moon and a festival introducing Indonesia’s culinary treasures round off the program.

“I welcome the showcase and discovery of a broad range of cultures,” says Soryia Siddique of Glasgow City Council in anticipation of “Discover Indonesia.”

“Learning about cultures through art, music and food offers a unique way of embracing diversity and experiencing traditions and colourful cultures from across the globe. This festival offers us an exciting opportunity to experience what Indonesia has to offer, in all its color and variety.”

The post Indonesian Artists Launch Their Own British Invasion appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.

Reading a book can open a window to unknown worlds; many avid readers have nurtured this passion ever since they were children. Once they get hooked, there’s no turning back.

As the world marks International Children’s Book Day on April 2, we asked some literature-loving Indonesians about their reading habits when they were children, and if and how they helped change their views of the world.

Rizal Iwan, 37, freelance journalist

Rizal Iwan. (Photo courtesy of Rizal Iwan)

When I grew up, I was considered a boy who was a bit “different” because I wasn’t into sports or other stuff that boys are supposed to be interested in. So I didn’t have a lot of friends. I guess I turned to books because they provided me with an alternative universe, in which I felt like I belonged and the characters in the books became my friends to play with.

My favorite children’s books were Astrid Lindgren’s “Pippi Longstocking” series, Enid Blyton’s “Malory Towers” and “St. Clare’s” series, the Hawkeye Collins and Amy Adams mystery series, and Enid Blyton’s “The Family at Red-Roofs,” which I considered to be the first real and full-blown novel I’ve ever finished and was truly affected by. I also read Henry James’ horror novel “The Turn of the Screw” and it’s still one of my favorites today — although I don’t know if this is considered a children’s book or not.

What I like most about reading is its ability to transport me to another reality, and the fact that it’s so private. Watching movies is a shared experience, and it has its own charm, but with books, it’s always one-on-one, just you and the book. There’s a certain satisfaction from being sucked into an entirely different realm from the person sitting next to you — in the waiting room, on the train, or anywhere — while that person has no idea what you are experiencing.

I think it shaped me as a person, especially since most of the reading I did was when I was younger, when I tended to absorb things faster and better, and was more much more impressionable. Reading opened me up to new ideas, different cultures, different people, and different ways of expressing oneself. Thus, it taught me to always keep an open mind.

Zefanya Samantha, 23, lawyer

As a child, I wasn’t eager to read books because I thought it would be boring and I preferred watching TV or playing with my friends. It was my older sister who then first introduced me to books. She continued to give me books as birthday presents or just as a simple gift, so one day I finally decided to start reading. It turned out that it wasn’t boring at all! I remember I started reading a book in the afternoon and didn’t stop until the next morning. I stayed up all night. I realized that when you’re reading, the world instantly expands in an unexplainable way. It feels like the stories are actually happening, and you’ve become a part of them. I fell in love with reading.

Since I only began to read in my last year of elementary school, I’m not too familiar with children’s books, although I remember “Gulliver’s Travels” being one of my favorites.

For some people, reading is just another activity to kill some time, or they feel that it’s a boring hobby. But to me, it’s so much more than that. One of the first books I read, for instance, “The Flame Tree,” was about two kids who came from different cultures with different religions, yet they were able to become friends despite the challenges they had to overcome. Even though it wasn’t an easy read, it taught me a lot about faith, friendship, and most importantly, forgiveness and empathy in a different way than what was taught to us at school. And this was just from one book. Can you imagine what kind of impact on your life literature can have when you read another 100 books? So I think that people who aren’t reading yet should force themselves to pick up a book — and those who already love it, well, I guess, they will never stop again anyway.

Ira Martina Drupady, 34, international development aid consultant

My parents always recount how I started reading at age 3, which I find hard to believe but I do know that I’ve always loved books, libraries, bookshops, and, of course, reading.

I don’t know if there was one thing in particular that started me off reading. I suspect the reason was more economical than anything else. When I was growing up, my parents didn’t have much money. My dad was a poor student on a scholarship and my mum wasn’t allowed to work as his dependent under the student visa. So libraries became the perfect baby-sitters and entertainers. I was lucky to discover the wonder of libraries very early on.

“The BFG” and “George’s Marvelous Medicine,” both by Roald Dahl, were my favorites. They still are.

[The best thing about reading] was and still is that element of escapism. From a very young age, my dream was always to run away somewhere, go for an adventure, travel around the world. I love how books are able to pull you into these perfectly constructed alternative universes. Reality is suspended. The only thing you need to take with you is a bit of imagination and a leap of faith. Next thing you know, you’re at the end and feeling a bit wistful about not spending more time there when you could.

Has reading shaped me as a person? Clearly — although it’s a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation. I’m rather introverted so the best thing in the world for me is to curl up on the sofa with a book and a cup of tea away from the madding crowd. I prefer that to all other activities to the detriment of my social life and sometimes even my relationship — although I have to say I’m lucky to have the most understanding partner and friends.

One day, I would like to write my own novel, ask readers to journey with me through my own painstakingly constructed alternative universe — and I hope they enjoy their time there.

The post Children’s Books: ‘A Bit of Imagination and a Leap of Faith’ appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.

While a passion for reading is gradually taking root in large cities, low-income families living in rural areas still lack access to books, especially children’s literature. (EPA Photo/Mike Alquinto)

Though he wrote numerous plays, novels and poems, Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen is best remembered for his fairy tales that have been read to and by children all over the world.

“The Princess and the Pea,” “The Little Mermaid,” “The Wild Swans,” “The Little Match Girl” and “The Ugly Duckling” are only a few among his best-known stories; a trademark of his tales are the often heartbreaking ordeals and challenges his characters must go through before finding happiness — if they find it at all.

Since 1967, International Children’s Book Day is celebrated on April 2, Andersen’s birthday, in order to remember his legacy and at the same time inspire a passion for reading in children.

Compared to many other countries, Indonesians typically don’t grow up with a love for reading as it is often not encouraged at school or at home for various reasons; and those who do often resort to international classics rather than local works, as the former is viewed to be higher in quality.

Murti Bunanta, an award-winning children’s book writer with dozens of published folktales under her belt, felt the same way by the time she started putting her stories on paper.

“In 1997, I was asked by a publisher to lead a [division] for their new books on folktales,” says Murti, who was the first person to receive a doctorate degree from the University of Indonesia, choosing children’s literature as topic for her dissertation.

“I was given the freedom to decide on the format, and the writers and illustrators to work with,” she recalls. “As I specialize in children’s literature, I had such high standards for the publication that it was a struggle to find writers who fulfilled my expectation — even with a deadline [for the first book] fast approaching.”

Murti then decided to add her own stories — which turned out to be the right decision as the book became a success, winning an international award from Poland. Murti continued her retelling of Indonesian folktales, not only to share them with the country’s younger generation, but to preserve them.

So far, she has published 20 folktales from different parts of the archipelago, and many of her works have been translated into other languages as well, including English, Japanese, Korean and Mongolian.

Murti is also the founder and president of The Society for The Advancement of Children’s Literature (KPBA), a non-profit organization that aims to nurture the love of reading among children.

Generally, Murti says, books are not high on the list of priorities of Indonesian children — which is not surprising, as reading is not always encouraged by their teachers or parents.

“Many parents of low-income families can’t afford to buy books for their children, so they look to schools,” Murti explains. “These people have hardly any access to books — there are not enough libraries [in Indonesia].”

The trend, however, has shown signs of change, especially among the younger generation living in Indonesia’s big cities, where a reading culture has slowly taken root.

Mia Maria, an art curator based in Jakarta, says that she inherited her interest in books and reading from her mother and older sister. She is trying to instill the same passion in her own 11-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter.

“My son likes tween novels like ‘The Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ series, but he also reads comics, Japanese manga, and more technical texts as long as they relate to his favorite games,” Mia says. “My daughter likes more girly stories, like ‘Maissie Mae’ and also classics: ‘Heidi’ and some tales by Hans Christian Andersen.”

“And, of course, I load them with art books for kids,” Mia adds with a laugh.

But Mia also feels there is a severe lack of children’s books on the Indonesian market, especially those written by local authors; she also feels that books used in schools have plenty of room for improvement.

 “I am reviewing a few curriculum books on arts and culture at the moment, and think that the standard of their content, editing and language is below par,” she says. “It worries me to give locally edited books to my children without reading them first myself, but of course that’s impossible to do with every single book [they receive].”

Despite this grim outlook, Mia says she does stumble across some good books once in a while.

“One of my favorites is titled ‘Indahnya Negeriku,’ [‘The Beauty of My Country’] which is very light but contains a lot of information about local culture, and is nicely illustrated, too,” she explains.

Mia adds that she raises her children in a bilingual atmosphere, but she still struggles to find books written comprehensively in both English and Indonesian.

Feby Sofia Hendian, customer service manager of a local logistics company, reads bedtime stories to her 3-year-old daughter — in English.

“I want to familiarize her with the English language,” Feby explains. “I mostly read fables to her, as she really likes animal stories.”

At the same time, Feby adds, she has maintained the nightly ritual for a much more practical reason.

“It helps her fall asleep, which makes [the evening] easier for me as well,” Feby says with a smile. “Sure, I want to encourage her to read, but sometimes, reading to her is the only thing that makes her want to go to bed.”

As Indonesia prepares to take on the role of Guest of Honor country at this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair, the largest of its kind worldwide, Murti says she hopes that Indonesian children’s books will catch the interest of German publishers.

According to Claudia Kaiser, Frankfurt Book Fair’s vice president of business development, publishers for young adult and children’s books play an important role at the fair, thanks largely to the big success of the fantasy genre, as well as the immense popularity of comic books.

Around 1,200 exhibitors have registered to present products for children and young adults at the October fair, with approximately 550 events revolving around the genres.

“When it comes to translations of books into the German language, young adult and children’s books make up the second biggest segment, with 18.7 percent after general fiction,” Kaiser says.

Almost all Guest of Honor countries will also introduce books of this genre when they come to Germany, but Kaiser acknowledges that the main interest of German publishers is geared towards fiction for adults.

“At last year’s fair, we organized a so-called speed dating session between German and Indonesian children’s book publishers where they had the chance to introduce their works to one another,” Kaiser says. “However, at the moment we must say that the interest from German publishers in Indonesian children’s books is still limited so far. 

“But this is by no means uncommon. Korean publishers, for example, bought a lot of children’s book rights from Germany, but the other way around, there was almost nothing.”

German publishers have only recently shown interest in Korean children’s books and have also began scooping up their rights. These are expected to hit the German market shortly.

“That basically means that these things take time, because Korea was Guest of Honor country at the Frankfurt Book Fair [in 2005], and now it is 2015,” Kaiser explains. “It would be recommended for Indonesian children’s book publishers to use the fair as an opportunity to open doors for future collaborations.”

It is a notion that Murti fully agrees with, saying: “Even if we won’t be able to strike deals straight away, I hope that the Frankfurt Book Fair will be a good start to draw attention to Indonesian children’s books — and of course, Indonesian literature in general.”

“We need to establish a relationship between Indonesian and German publishers first; hopefully it will be one that lasts for many years to come.”

Murti at least can be considered a success story already: one of her books, “Putri Kemang,” (“Kemang Princess”) will be published in German as a picture book and turned into a Japanese paper theater, or kamishibai, in 2016.

The post A New Chapter for Children’s Literature Across Indonesia appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.