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Makassar Writers Festival aims to unite in diversity
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The Jakarta Post chief editor Endy Bayuni leads a writing workshop at the 2017 Makassar International Writers Festival in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on May 16. (MIWF 2017 official Facebook page/file)
D
omestic and foreign writers gathering at the 2017 Makassar International Writers Festival (MIWF) hope to ease sectarian tension across Indonesia via seminars, exhibitions and writing workshops held at the Fort Rotterdam from Tuesday to Saturday.
The annual festival has been organized by Rumata' Artspace since 2011 to promote contemporary literature as well as reading and writing habits. This year, it has adopted “diversity” as its theme.
“Differences are common in Indonesia. But let’s just unite, ease the tension by enjoying this literacy party,” Rumata' Artspace director Lily Yulianti Farid said.
Rumata' Artspace founder Riri Riza said Indonesia had many great writers who were known to the public. “MIWF promotes new writers and ideas.”
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The festival provides "Ke Taman," an open space for visitors to picnic, read, eat and watch movies and music performances. The screened movies include Athirah, Turah and Istirahatlah Kata-kata (Solo, Solitude).
Original poems hand-written by notable poet Sapardi Djoko Damono are exhibited in the gallery.
Among featured foreign writers are Xu Xi from Hong Kong, Ypil Lawrence (the Philippines), Benedicte Gorrillot (France) and Shida Bazyar (Germany), as well as Australians Mark Heyward, Antje Missbach, Derek Pugh and Jemma Purdey Madelaine Dickie and Malaysians Ridwan Saidi, Lokman Hakim and Shaz Johar.
Six young writers selected via the Emerging Writers Program are Anaci Tnunay from Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara; Ashari Ramadana (Makassar, South Sulawesi), Bayu Pratama (Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara), Maria Pankratia (Ende, East Nusa Tenggara), Muahmmad Arham (Luwu, South Sulawesi) and Nurdahlia Simba Manna (Kolaka, Southeast Sulawesi). (bbs)
