Papers and books pile up across the living room of Ziggy's residence in Bandar Lampung — miniature cars and Lego bricks poke out here and there.

Sharing her workspace with her father and sister, as well as two active toddlers, is Ziggy, a 28-year-old self-taught author who recently published her latest novel, Kita Pergi Hari Ini (atau Tempat-Tempat Indah dalam Mimpi-Mimpi Anak-Anak Baik-Baik) — We're Leaving Today (or Beautiful Places in Good Children's Dreams).

Inspired: Ziggy originally wanted to be a children book author and she often reads for her nephew and nieces - Minka, who is the inspiration for Ma character, is one of her frequent audiences. (Courtesy of Ziggy Zezsyazeoviennazabrizkie) (Personal collection/Courtesy of Ziggy Zezsyazeoviennazabrizkie)

"For Kafka, a very naughty little boy, and Minka, a very noisy little girl," reads the dedication page of the novel, referring to Ziggy's nephew and niece, who were the inspiration for characters Mi and Ma. The toddlers are often seen screen-bombing the author during her online promotional talks.

The first preordered batch of the novel launched officially on Gramedia Pustaka Utama's Shoppee Mall and Tokopedia accounts on Oct. 14, with the limited amount of 1,500 sold out in less than 24 hours. 

Under Gramedia Pustaka Utama as her publisher for both titles, Ziggy announced a reprint recently on her Twitter account, @monamicroissant, alongside another one of her books, Di Tanah Lada (In the Land of Peppers), which earned Ziggy her first Jakarta Arts Council's Award as a runner-up in the 2014 Novel Competition.

Easter eggs and trivia

People might mistake the words in parentheses, "Tempat-Tempat Indah dalam Mimpi-Mimpi Anak-Anak Baik-Baik", as the book's subtitle. However, it is actually an alternative title.

Ziggy revealed that this use of alternative titles was inspired by her research on several female writers in the 19^th century with Ruang Perempuan dan Tulisan (The Women and Literature Space). Novels in that era often used alternative titles. Alas, her publisher team mistook her initiative at first.

Adult fiction: After graduating from Mizan's Fantasteen, Ziggy started producing young adult fictions such as Jakarta Sebelum Pagi (Jakarta Dawning, 2016) but she preserves her unique juvenile storytelling style. (Courtesy of Ziggy Zezsyazeoviennazabrizkie) (Personal collection/Courtesy of Ziggy Zezsyazeoviennazabrizkie)

"I simply sent the whole manuscript. They [the publisher] didn't think it was an alternative title, though, so they removed it at first," Ziggy said. "I had to say several times that it had to be with the title — if not on the cover, then on the title page or the half-title. I think it confused them a little.

"The final product has an alternative title on the cover and the title page, but not the bastard title." 

In addition to the unique titling, Ziggy also inserted footnotes — something unusual for a work of fiction.

"It's stupid, and it draws attention from the horrible things that are going on in the book — which is the whole point of having it to begin with."

In order to make her books even more exciting, Ziggy also illustrates some of its pages with her own drawings, as she often writes from mental images. However, Ziggy said the physical illustrations "come last and only if possible".

Harmless facade

Kita Pergi Hari Ini tells the story of five children — Mi, Ma, Mo, Fifi and Fufu — who set out on an unusual journey with a caretaker cat named Miss Gigi to a place called Kota Terapung Kucing Luar Biasa (The Floating City of Incredible Cats).

Same year: Born in 2016, Ziggy started developing Kita Pergi Hari Ini in 2016, the same year her first nephew, Kafka, who was the inspiration for Mi, was born. (Courtesy of Ziggy Zezsyazeoviennazabrizkie) (Personal collection/Courtesy of Ziggy Zezsyazeoviennazabrizkie)

The premise was conveyed in Ziggy's signature style that reminds the reader of translated versions of Enyd Blyton's or Roald Dahl's classics. However, behind the innocent narratives were heavy and dark subjects such as gender stigma, animal abuse and class disparity. 

This is not the first time Ziggy uses the somewhat immature points of view from unlikely characters to manifest social concerns. For example, Di Tanah Lada features 6-year-old Salva, who digests the world around her using the Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language (KBBI) as its main character. Her Jakarta Arts Council's 2016 Novel Competition sole-winner novel Semua Ikan Di Langit (All the Fish in the Sky) also conveys its story through the naive eyes of an old DAMRI bus.

Ziggy's unusual way of storytelling has earned her a place even for younger audiences, so much so that her past editors at Mizan Fantasteen dubbed her a "literary Peter Pan" who never ages.

"I think maturity is standardized and in itself boring. I perceive innocence and different experiences or ways to translate them as maturity itself; as in, people look down on them, but they have their own wisdom," said Ziggy. "Why abide by consensus? Books aren't meant to be boring."

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