Limited to just 20 participants, the “Writing as Inquiry” workshop highlighted how stories can be driven by questions instead of plots, where participants were guided to explore the different techniques as well their own tone, voice and perspective to create resilient stories.

Xi later joined The Jakarta Post’s president and chief revenue officer Maggie Tiojakin and Magdalene cofounder and chief editor Devi Asmarani for the “Suspended Narratives” discussion, with the three exploring the role of stories in a fragmented world, especially the feelings of being in-between these fragments.

All three agreed that in this sense, living in-between cultures, ideas, identities and spaces brings shared ideas that are absorbed through various experiences, narratives and stories from different perspectives.

The privilege of being fed by many distinct fundamentals fascinates Devi in this matter.

“Everybody should be able to live in between spaces. It's like a whole different world that you see when you don't mind being in between,” she adds.

In addition, Xi pointed out that not everything in this space can be changed, though she posed the question of “who has the power to create change?”

“It's the intersection of love and the imagination that keeps some things, and that will force the language to come forth,” she said, adding that when imagination is guided by love, it pushes her to question existing realities, learning to adapt and move forward.  

Xi also shared that she has spent her entire life asking questions and she does not plan on stopping as it enables her to enter creative spaces. Though some may assume that asking questions can make them look dumb, she encourages the audience to try asking more questions, as this allows them to grow and improve their knowledge.

This sentiment is one shared by Maggie, who reiterated that there is no such thing as a stupid question.

“Be reasonable. That's the only way we can survive the in-between,” she said.

In a world full of different perspectives, creating space for reflection improves resilience and understanding.

“Whether you like it or not, the change is here,” Maggie concluded, expressing her hopes that the discussion will lead people to make changes in their lives.

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