Fira Basuki is on the way up<\/p>\n
Leo Wahyudi S
\nContributor
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Back from five years in Singapore, novelist Fira Basuki is
\napprehensive about the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
\nwhich has hit the island state.<\/p>\n
\"A fashion show that I covered more than a week ago was
\nattended by only few people and many seats were not occupied,\"
\nrecalled Fira, who is also a journalist.<\/p>\n
The 31-year-old woman, however, has had little trouble coping
\nwith the SARS scare and keeping up with her daily work as both
\na journalist and novelist.<\/p>\n
\"I just work as if nothing has happened in Singapore,\" she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Fira is a part-time broadcaster for Singapore International
\nRadio and a correspondent for Harper's Bazaar magazine.<\/p>\n
Her three novels, Jendela-Jendela (Windows)\", Pintu (Door) and
\nAtap (Roof)\" have been inspired by everyday experiences. Her
\nfourth book, Biru (Blue) has just been released.<\/p>\n
Fira has been recognized as one of the most popular female
\nnovelists in Indonesia, along with the already famous Dewi \"Dee\"
\nLestari and Ayu Utami.<\/p>\n
Her self confidence grew when she won several writing contests
\nat senior high school. She has not stopped writing since.<\/p>\n
She wrote her first novel, Jendela-Jendela, in 2001 when she
\nwas eight month pregnant and needed to overcome boredom.<\/p>\n
On the recommendation of her fellow journalists who were
\nimpressed by the manuscript, she had it published by PT Grasindo
\npublishing house in Jakarta. To her amazement, the first 5,000
\ncopies sold out and the book has already been reprinted four
\ntimes.<\/p>\n
The initial success encouraged her to make a sequel -- and
\nthen came Pintu and Atap. Each title is in its fifth edition and
\neach edition is 10,000 copies.<\/p>\n
Although she is grateful about her books sales, she believes
\nthe book industry would fare better if Indonesians had better
\nreading habits. She laments the fact that the majority of
\ncitizens struggle to simply survive and buying books is not yet a
\npriority.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the young who can afford books would rather go to
\nthe movies or shopping at the mall than spend time at the library
\nreading, she said.<\/p>\n
All her novels have simple themes revolving around
\nrelationships and people's daily routines.<\/p>\n
Noted literature critic Sapardi Djoko Damono said that Fira
\nhas managed to explore these aspects very well. \"This is the
\nultimate attraction of her novels,\" he said. She challenges the
\ncommon notion that people should look to the West for guidance
\nabout lifestyle, he said.<\/p>\n
Born in Surabaya East Java 31 years ago, Fira grew up mostly
\nin Jakarta and West Java's rainy city of Bogor. But she claims
\nthat she matured when living in America.<\/p>\n
She cultivated a deeper interest and understanding of culture,
\nand especially her native Java by studying anthropology at the
\nUniversity of Indonesia in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
She then studied communication and journalism at Pittsburgh
\nState University, U.S.A. She obtained her masters degree in
\ncommunication and public relations in the same university in
\n1995.<\/p>\n
She moved to Singapore five years ago when her husband, Palden
\nTenzing Galang, was posted to the city state.<\/p>\n
\"But I still love Jakarta more than Singapore, where
\neverything is tightly controlled,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Fira is glad to see the emergence of young writers in
\nIndonesia who have become her competitors.<\/p>\n
\"I love writing therefore I write,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Being a rising star, Fira takes her mothers advice that \"Being
\nfamous is a bonus\" to heart and knows that she should remain
\nmodest.<\/p>",
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