Five-Centuries Literacy Movement officially launched
Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Five-Centuries Literacy Movement was officially launched at the 2026 HB Jassin Awards ceremony at Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM) in Central Jakarta on Saturday (17 October).
The movement was initiated by the Jakarta Library and Archives Service ahead of the city’s 500th anniversary in 2027.
“Through this movement, the public is encouraged to produce written and creative works, such as poetry, short stories, personal accounts, essays and other forms of writing that record Jakarta’s life from a range of perspectives,” said Diki Lukman Hakim, head of the Jakarta Library and HB Jassin Literary Documentation Centre (PDS) technical implementation unit, in Jakarta on Sunday.
He said pupils, university students, educators, writers, literary figures, literacy communities and the general public would have the opportunity to contribute stories and ideas about the capital’s journey.
Libraries and cultural spaces are therefore expected to become more closely connected to everyday life, while also serving as places where a new generation of writers and thinkers can emerge.
“As Jakarta approaches its five-century mark in 2027, literature is one way to record the city’s journey, give voice to its residents’ experiences and pass ideas on to the next generation,” Diki said.
Diki also said events for the 2026 HB Jassin Awards were held beyond the main stage. On 16 and 17 October, organisers presented a community and food-and-drink exhibition, as well as an open-mic stage where members of the public could take part directly.
The exhibition involved Big Bad Wolf Books, Jakarta Book Party, Jnanasastra, Los Buku patjarmerah, Penalis, Rawamangun Concept, Redaksi Nawala-Rabupagi, Sekacil, Eattiew, Jiucible by Surplus, Kaneramen and Lace Coffee.
The participation of literacy communities, food and drink businesses and creative groups broadened visitors’ experience while bringing cultural activities into closer contact with community life.
The open-mic stage, meanwhile, gave visitors, literary communities and participants a space to present their work and share their creativity.
Through these activities, Diki said, literature was not only an object of evaluation in a competition, but also a cultural practice nurtured through encounters, the exchange of ideas and the courage to express oneself.
“These activities formed part of the Pustakarsa Festival—the Library, Archives and Literature Festival—which runs from 14 to 22 October 2026,” Diki said.
He added that the programme also included literacy discussions, read-aloud sessions, writing workshops, literature and music performances, Piknik Baca Jakarta and the Urban Reading Walk.
Earlier, Jakarta Library and Archives Service head Nasruddin Djoko Surjono said 14,988 people had taken part in the 2026 HB Jassin Awards, either individually or in groups, across four competition categories.
The competitions included the National Poetry Reading Competition, with 3,700 entrants; the International Short Story Writing Competition, with 10,011 entrants; the International Literary Criticism Writing Competition, with 1,069 entrants; and the high-school-level Poetry Musicalisation Competition for the Greater Jakarta area, with 208 groups.
“These diverse categories show that literature can develop through many forms of expression, from poetry readings, short-story writing and literary criticism to performances combining language and music,” Nasruddin said.
He said the event continued the spirit of Hans Bague Jassin in collecting, documenting and preserving Indonesian literary works.
Through the event, the government also hopes to expand creative opportunities for writers, foster emerging literary talent and ensure the literary ecosystem can be passed on to future generations.