F

iction writing in Indonesia is still constrained within the limits set by publishers or the public where marginalized and sensitive issues such as religion, ethnicity, gender and sexuality cannot be discussed openly, speakers said Wednesday.

A lecturer at the School of Communications at Atma Jaya University, Andina Dwifatma, stressed that fiction writers are still free to write about sensitive issues, but should expect editing done for the publishers to avoid trouble, or to make their work more suitable for the reading public.

“Fiction writers are free to write anything and we are not afraid if anyone is angry at us for our writing, but we would rather not be on bad terms with them [publishers, readers, etc.],” she said.

She added that true accounts involving marginalized issues can still be told through fiction.

“Fiction is a playful platform for us to create the plots and yet still tell the truth about what is important in our lives or in general. That is the difference between literary work and journalism,” said Andina, who was among the speakers discussing literature during the Global Media Dialogue at the University of Indonesia, which ended on Wednesday.

Novelist Eliza Vitri Handayani said it is important to have freedom of expression in fiction writing as it can “affect many aspects of life”.

“We should have more stories and dialogues about marginalized topics such as religion and gender, as it provides us with intimate views of these issues and to understand those who are different than us,” said Eliza.

Eliza cited the experiences of writers who touched on issues considered sensitive.

“Bullying or stigmatizing happens to writers who speak up [about marginalized issues]. There are also violent protests by intolerant groups and usually young female writers get harassed by older male writers or editors who are in positions of power,” she added.

However, independent online bookstores are an alternative medium for writers and the public hoping for minimum censorship, said Ronny Agustinus, chief editor of publishing house Marjin Kiri.

“One solution that is maybe not perfect but ideal for now is making alternative distributions through independent online bookstores. Thanks to online marketing, books that have the tendency to be banned by mainstream publishers because of sensitivity can reach the public directly and also avoid bookstore censorship,” Ronny said.