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Off the beaten path: Five underrated Indonesian authors to dive into
Never mind eased lockdowns or not. Here are five nonmainstream literary legends and stars for those bold enough to dive into.
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Eternal eccentric: Although he avoided fame, Umbu Landu Paranggi won the hearts of many with his sparse, introspective poetry and continues to do so after his death on April 6, 2021. Today, he is considered one of Indonesian literature's unsung heroes. (Kompas.com/Courtesy of Eddy Hasby)
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mysterious poet, a controversial yet humorous author and a politically charged debutante are among the country’s most underrated authors whose lives and works lay just beyond mainstream literature.
Rarely recognized outside the circles of the most voracious readers and literary critics, these writers have spent years enriching the cultural landscape with their poetry, short stories and novels. They have pushed the boundaries of language and narrative through their writings on conflict, tradition, migration and hope, which offer a means of getting to know the country beyond picture-perfect postcards.
- Umbu Landu Paranggi
His well-known eccentricities are the stuff of legend, but the Sumbanese poet is perhaps one of the country’s most enigmatic cultural figures. Umbu reportedly never had a bank account, keeping all his money and valuables in a tin can. He eschewed mobile phones, insisting that he could communicate with his closest friends through telepathy. He refused to be vaunted and disappeared for years at the height of his fame in the 1970s.
Using sparse, introspective prose, his poetry tells of his many wanderings and the sensual, almost reverential relationship between humankind and the land that birthed them. On occasion, his wordplay and complex imagery can befuddle even the most ardent readers of Indonesian language and culture. But in poems like “Ibunda” (Mother), he writes with stunning clarity and brevity.
Where to start: Perhaps because of his disdain for fame, Umbu never published a poetry anthology of note during his lifetime. His poems, though, are well documented and can be found in literary journals and online publications.
- Raisa Kamila
It’s not too much to say that Raisa is an up and coming literary star. The Banda Aceh-born writer and researcher has steadily made her mark behind the scenes, spearheading the feminist literary collective Perkawanan Perempuan Menulis and working as an editor at emerging publisher Pustaka Pias. It was well worth the wait for her to publish her fiction work.
Bagaimana Cara Mengatakan Tidak? (Mojok, 2020) is a short story collection to end them all. Focusing on women’s experiences in a variety of unpalatable situations, her stories seem incredibly absurd until readers realize that many are inspired from real-world events. Her stories speak of a society in constant flux in which women are consistently sent to the margins, yet somehow bear the burden of change.
