The tale of Indonesia's literary figures<\/p>\n
By R. Masri Sareb Putra<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The six-day Meeting of Indonesian Literacy IX,
\nheld in the West Sumatran towns of Bukittinggi and Kayutanam,
\nended Thursday. The government's presence among the 400
\nparticipants, including delegates from Brunei Darussalam and
\nMalaysia, was encouraging.<\/p>\n
Attendees included Minister\/State Secretary Moerdiono,
\nMinister of Education and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro and
\nMinister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher.<\/p>\n
Yet the writers, the same people who project spontaneity and
\ninnocence in their works, said that merely showing up was not
\nenough, and accused the government of being responsible for
\nmarginalizing them through neglect.<\/p>\n
Poet Suparwan G. Parikesit asked: \"If billions are spent on
\nsports, why is it that hardly anything is spent for the progress
\nof our nation's literature?\"<\/p>\n
Moerdiono immediately responded with a pledge of Rp 100
\nmillion toward that end. He said half would go to the event's
\norganizing committee, and the rest to noted author Satyagraha
\nHoerip to assist in the publication of his three-volume anthology
\nof Indonesian short stories. Satyagraha, also known as Pak Oyik,
\nhas complained about the obscure fate of the project, apparently
\nhampered by financial constraints.<\/p>\n
There is no denying the importance of literature. We put into
\npractice in our daily lives the philosophical wisdom we find in
\nliterature. A reflection of the masses and society, literary
\nworks teach, inspire and help us solve complex issues in our
\nlives.<\/p>\n
Poet Vossius in his book, Poeticarum Institionum Libri Tres
\n(1647), stated the importance of literature in society, and
\ndefined poets as moral teachers.<\/p>\n
Underscoring Vossius' statement is the flow of French
\nclassics, that followed in the wake of Greek and Roman classics
\nin categorizing artists as moral upholders in society.
\nSeventeenth century French critic Nicolas Bolieau once told poets
\nthat \"in the wisdom of your rich poetry, you combine the right
\nand the meaningful with pleasure\".<\/p>\n
It is maintained that literature is comprised of dulce et
\nutile, the beautiful and useful, and it is true that one derives
\nbenefits, and not just pleasure, from reading.<\/p>\n
Here, literature is viewed as a natural expression of
\nhumankind that speaks of beauty and enjoyment (homo ludens), and
\npaidia, or games. Nevertheless, literature contains assumptions
\nthat lead people on the right path.<\/p>\n
If both literature and literary writers are generally
\nconsidered important, why are they marginalized in the reality of
\nour daily life?<\/p>\n
The answer is simple.<\/p>\n
Let's be honest, exactly what percentage of our nation's 200
\nmillion people care about literature? This lack of interest is
\nunderstandable because people living in a developing nation are
\nstill focused on fulfilling immediate, functionary needs.<\/p>\n
In other words, the existence of literature, although
\nconsidered important, is not urgent. People need to fill their
\nstomachs, but they can live without studying literature.<\/p>\n
There is still a prevalent belief here that literature must be
\nuseful, educative, convey a moral message and build values. Some
\neven believe that literature is the reflection of society.<\/p>\n
The irony is that both literature and the fate of our writers
\nare discerning issues that need to be dealt with.<\/p>\n
In the royal era, there was full attention to the state of the
\npujangga, the poets. Entertainers (pelipur lara) were civil
\nservants, and poets depended on the fixed salaries provided by
\nthe king. Writers had a noble position in society, and their
\nprofession was no less prestigious than clerks.<\/p>\n
This profession was given its rightful place in society with
\nthe founding of the Balai Pustaka publishing house on Sept. 22,
\n1917, which began to regularly publish distinguished literary
\nworks.<\/p>\n
These included the works of Merari Siregar, author of Azab dan
\nSengsara (Grief and Sorrow, 1920), Muhammad Yamin, who penned the
\nfamous poem, Tanah Air (Homeland, 1922) and Marah Rusli, writer
\nof Siti Nurbaya (1922). Then came Rustam Effendi's dramatic
\nworks, published and titled Bebasari (1926), and Abdul Muis'
\nnovel Salah Asoehan (Ill-bred, 1928).<\/p>\n
In contemporary times, the fate of writers in our country has
\ndepended on publishers, cultural magazines and newspapers with
\nliterary or cultural columns. Literary writers were paid for
\ntheir works in magazines like Basis (founded 1951), Kisah (1953),
\nSastra (1961) and Horison (1966). As writers preferred the more
\nlucrative living to be made from writing for magazines instead of
\nbooks, then Minister of Education and Culture Nugroho Notosusanto
\nintroduced the term Majalah Sastra (literary magazine) to
\nIndonesian society in 1954.<\/p>\n
This trend has not changed in the last 30 years. It is common
\nto find Indonesian writers compiling short stories, already
\nprinted in newspapers or magazines, into a book, novelettes or
\nnovels.<\/p>\n
The question is whether it is unethical to make a book out of
\nworks already published. This too, depends on perceptions. Here
\n\"situational\" ethics come into play; since all writers do it, it
\nis not considered wrong, particularly since they receive double
\npayment.<\/p>\n
To the detriment of writers, the last three years has seen the
\nnational press giving more importance to business concerns than
\nthe moral messages conveyed by literary writings. Newspapers
\nwould rather have their space filled with advertisements than
\nwritings. Writers are finding it more difficult than ever to earn
\na living.<\/p>\n
What do writers of literature earn? A short story published in
\na newspaper can bring the writer between Rp 150,000 and Rp
\n300,000. It is less for poetry, more for a novelette and much
\nmore for a short story series. This is not a bad living if the
\nworks are published at least twice a month, as long as the writer
\nhas other sources of income as well.<\/p>\n
Even as literary works are compiled into a book, the fate of
\nthe writer remains unchanged. Prospects of earnings from a
\nliterary work -- in the context of this very slow moving business
\n-- are not promising.<\/p>\n
A prominent writer is awarded a mere 10 percent royalty. For
\nexample, if a 150-page book priced at Rp 15,000 per copy sells
\n500 copies in a year, it earns the writer Rp 1.5 million, or Rp
\n125,000 monthly. A productive writer who churns out four books a
\nyear could earn Rp 500,000 a month.<\/p>\n
This is no easy task as works are often rejected by
\npublishers. With uncertain income and a struggle to get their
\nworks in print, the lot of writers today leaves a lot to be
\ndesired.<\/p>\n
The writer is an editor at a publishing company in Jakarta and
\na freelance contributor to mass media publications.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/the-tale-of-indonesias-literary-figures-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}