French Embassy inaugurates Rimbaud Residency to strengthen writer exchange
The French Embassy in Indonesia has launched the Rimbaud Residency, the first reciprocal bilateral literary residency programme between Indonesia and France, in Semarang, Central Java, as a platform for long-term exchange for writers from both countries.
According to a press release from the French Embassy in Jakarta on Thursday, the programme’s launch was marked by the opening of an exhibition titled “Arthur Rimbaud: A Journey through Java” at Lawang Sewu on 6–8 August 2026. The exhibition was organised in cooperation with the Institut français d’Indonésie (IFI), the Semarang City Government, Alliance Française Semarang, Semarang State University (UNNES), and PT KAI.
The residency programme aims to encourage writers from both countries to explore each other’s cultural landscapes, interact with local communities, and create new literary works inspired by their experiences and encounters.
The programme’s first resident is Louis-Philippe Dalembert, a Haitian-born writer now based in Paris who was a finalist for the 2021 Prix Goncourt. He will reside in Semarang for three months, from September to November 2026.
During his stay in Semarang, Dalembert will write literary works while engaging with Indonesian writers, students, and researchers through various public meetings and workshops organised jointly with the Semarang City Government and Semarang State University (UNNES).
As a demonstration of the programme’s reciprocal spirit, an Indonesian writer will also undertake a three-month residency at the Cité internationale de la langue française, Château de Villers-Cotterêts, France, in early 2027.
The Cité internationale de la langue française was inaugurated by President Emmanuel Macron in 2023 and now serves as a major centre for French-speaking creators, researchers, writers, and academics from around the world.
The programme is one of the concrete follow-ups to the adoption of the Borobudur Declaration on a Joint Cultural Strategy by President Prabowo Subianto and President Emmanuel Macron in May 2025. The initiative complements other cultural cooperation efforts, such as the launch of the Choix Goncourt Indonesia and the participation of French writers in the 2026 Makassar International Writers Festival.
The French Embassy also plans to organise two additional residency programmes focused on literary writing and translation before June 2027. These programmes will complement the multidisciplinary KOTA residency already underway through a partnership with the Cité internationale des arts in Paris.
Arthur Rimbaud (1854–1891), born in Charleville in north-eastern France, is known as one of the greatest poets in French literature and a pioneer of modern poetry. He displayed extraordinary literary talent from an early age and produced most of his famous works before the age of 20.
Rimbaud later abandoned the literary world and joined the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL) for economic reasons. However, after arriving in Salatiga, Central Java, he deserted from military service and disappeared from official records after receiving his pay.