Indonesia\u2019s sixth president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), has\nlaunched a novel entitled \u2018Diana Memang Manja\u2019. At the launch, held at\nhis residence in Cikeas on Thursday (29 October), he invited readers\ninto a story rooted in experiences familiar to many: love, loss,\npreserving memories and gradually finding the courage to move\nforward.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlthough she is gone, I have never forgotten her,\u201d SBY said,\nspeaking about his late wife, Ani Yudhoyono, according to a statement\nissued on Friday (30 October).<\/p>\n
SBY said Ani Yudhoyono\u2019s death on 1 June 2019 marked a turning point\nthat led him to return to the arts. Amid his grief, he sought activities\nthat could help him recover emotionally.<\/p>\n
At the launch, SBY shared how the creative process brought together\npersonal experience, imagination and reflections on love and loss.\nThrough the story, he said, he wanted readers to understand that\ncarrying on with life can go hand in hand with preserving the memory of\nsomeone they love.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am not a soldier or politician who has become an artist. But art\nwas part of my past. The right phrase is \u2018the return of the lost artist\u2019\n\u2014 the return of an artist after wandering everywhere,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
According to SBY, his interest in writing dates back to primary\nschool. He said writing a novel was a continuation of a passion that had\nlong been part of his life.<\/p>\n
SBY said the novel gave him the freedom to shape a plot, create\ncharacters with varied personalities, and bring reality together with\nimagination. In \u2018Diana Memang Manja\u2019, he uses that freedom to weave a\nromance with mystery and the emotional struggles of human life.<\/p>\n
SBY acknowledged that some of the feelings he experienced after\nlosing Ani informed the writing process. \u201cI poured some of what I felt\nyears ago into the novel. But I am stronger now. I have moved on,\u201d he\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He explained that he also developed the novel\u2019s imaginative elements\nthrough research and careful consideration. He wanted the story to have\na plausible foundation while leaving room for mystery and the wonders of\nlife.<\/p>\n
The creative process continued to evolve as he wrote. New ideas\nemerged from the planned plot, enriching the story and deepening the\nrelationships between its characters.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sby-launches-novel-diana-memang-manja-1793350363", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }