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Reda Gaudiamo’s journey from aspiring writer to London Book Fair star
Author Reda Gaudiamo hopes those who are passionate about writing do not give up on their dreams easily.
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Reda Gaudiamo. (-/A. Kurniawan Ulung)
Author Reda Gaudiamo hopes those who are passionate about writing do not give up easily on their dreams.
Reda, who is also known as a one-half of folk duo AriReda, has just returned from the United Kingdom, where she underwent a two-month residency in the historic city of Norwich and promoted her children’s book, The Adventures of Na Willa, at the London Book Fair in Olympia, London in March.
Launched by Birmingham-based independent publisher Emma Press in March, the book is a translation of Na Willa, which first hit bookstores across Indonesia in 2012.
Filled with Cecillia Hidayat’s illustrations, it tells about how Na Willa, a bright and outspoken little girl, deals with the ups and downs of life.
Living in the suburbs in Surabaya, East Java, the 5-year-old girl spends her time running after trains with her best friend, Dul, and going down to the market with her Javanese mother, Mak.
She wants to be free amid people who tell her what to do and who to be. She does not want to be just a girl. She does not want to look just like her mother, or just like her Chinese-Indonesian father, Pak. She wants to be both and more.
The Adventures of Na Willa is unlike an ordinary children’s book full of happiness and moral messages.
