Support Indonesian Literature

Lately I found myself having a list-of-books-to-buy everytime I went home to Indonesia. Many people come to Singapore to buy books heavenly in Bras Basah, Borders and Kinokuniya, while I am going home to stock myself with some Indonesian books. I must admit that Indonesian literature is going more interesting with a lot of newcomer writers. They’re also good in publication by being active in social media. They really got me in Twitter.

(1) Two authors above are a blogger, I’ve loved their stories and collected their first books since the beginning, before I moved to Singapore. That’s why each time they published new books or comics, even though the comics are so lame (Goat Guy, you should stop producing the comics, just focus on the books/blog), I need to get them asap. Sometimes I pre-ordered online and asked my sister to buy books I want, so the books were already there when I went home.

(2) One of the books above, the author is very famous and was once a singer (or maybe still). Many people talked good about this book, so I bought it one year ago but until now I haven’t even opened up the plastic cover yet. It was just because everyone in social media praised this book, but actually I do not like the author.

(3) Another book, the author was my senior in university and is very funny in Twitter. So I tried to read his new novel about tragic comedy of a marriage life. For me, it is not disappointing but not so special either.

(4) Another one is the first novel of a trilogy about education. It is very inspiring, and there will be a movie soon filming the story from this novel. I really like quotes in front page (in Indonesian):

Orang berlimu dan beradab tidak akan diam di kampung halaman
Tinggalkan negerimu dan merantaulah ke negeri orang

Merantaulah, kau akan dapatkan pengganti dari kerabat dan kawan
Berlelah-lelahlah, manisnya hidup terasa setelah lelah berjuang

Aku melihat air menjadi rusak karena diam tertahan
Jika mengalir menjadi jernih, jika tidak, kan keruh menggenang

Singa jika tak tinggalkan sarang tak akan dapat mangsa
Anak panah jika tidak tinggalkan busur tak akan kena sasaran

Jika matahari di orbitnya tidak bergerak dan terus diam
Tentu manusia bosan padanya dan enggan memandang

Bijih emas bagaikan tanah biasa sebelum digali dari tambang
Kayu gaharu tak ubahnya seperti kayu biasa
Jika di dalam hutan.

By. Imam Syafii’

Second book of the trilogy has come out, and it has been put in my list-book-to-buy next month in Jakarta.

(5) The last book is really interesting especially for Indonesian people who lives in Singapore. It tells a story of her life when studying in NTU Singapore and living here for 4 years: A land of opportunity but also a land of desperation. I like her writings, so I might buy her other books soon.

Can you guess which book(s) I refer to in each paragraph? 😛