Andrei Aksana: Into beautiful words

Author Andrei Aksana has been developing his writing craft since he was at elementary school.

But his mother, author Nina Pane, did not want him to follow her path. He refused to give up his passion, so he started to write poems and short stories at a very young age. The author of Janda-Janda Kosmopolitan (Cosmopolitan Widows) now has a steady job in a retail company, but still takes time to write.

The graduate of the Udayana University in Bali treasures his collection of novels by Japanese author Haruki Murakami and American author Ernest Hemingway.

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

I am very jealous of the novel. I am sad to see that people learn about Ubud in Bali from a foreign writer.

I wonder why no local writers highlight Ubud with its rich culture as a setting for their books.

I read this book several times. Next, I want to write a book that shows how Bali has become my first home.

Dengarkanlah Nyanyian Angin (Hear the Wind Sing) by Haruki Murakami

I read every book written by Haruki. This book is about conflicts that develop among youngsters in Japan.

To me, he is a great male author. He delves not only into the world of men, but also women and young people. He also explores various settings in his stories. His selection of diction impresses me the most. They are so wonderful.

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

I have a collection of his work and particularly like this one. Ernest Hemingway makes me learn that it’s never too late to do something that can become our passion.

— As told to Indah Setiawati