Indonesia and France Strengthen Cooperation in Literature and Literacy
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Ministry of Culture, together with the French Embassy in Indonesia, has committed to strengthening cultural cooperation, particularly in the field of literature and literacy.
Special Staff to the Minister of Culture for Cultural Diplomacy and International Relations, Anissa Rengganis, in an official statement confirmed from Jakarta on Saturday, said that this collaboration would bring together two major programmes from each country.
“We will ‘merge’ two major programmes, namely the ‘Choix Goncourt Indonésie’ programme from the French Government with the ‘Read Indonesia’ and ‘National Talent Management in Literature’ programmes from the Indonesian Government. The presence of the French delegation at the MIWF this year is a crucial first step in the implementation of this cooperation,” said Anissa.
She made these remarks at an event which is the result of a collaboration between the Indonesian Ministry of Culture and the French Embassy in Indonesia through the ‘Connection Night’ event held in Makassar.
Anissa added that Connection Night is not just a celebration, but a space to build real collaboration between the two cultural ecosystems.
“We hope that this activity can generate concrete collaborations, ranging from cultural exchanges, book translations, writer residencies, to festival collaborations in the future,” she added.
Indonesia and France are committed to strengthening cultural cooperation through three strategic agendas, including Indonesia’s participation in Le Festival du Livre de Paris 2027 by bringing in a delegation of Indonesian writers and publishers, France’s involvement in the Indonesia International Book Fair 2026 and 2027, and the development of a translation subsidy scheme for French publishers and other international publishers to support the translation and publication of Indonesian literary works into various world languages.
This effort is expected to expand access to Indonesian literary works at the global level while strengthening cultural relations between Indonesia and France in a sustainable manner.
The Makassar International Writers Festival 2026 Connection Night is proof that cultural diplomacy can go hand in hand with political diplomacy through literature, art, and human networks as its bridge.
Through this collaboration, the Ministry of Culture reaffirms its commitment to strengthening Indonesian cultural diplomacy while expanding access to Indonesian literary works at the global level and strengthening cultural relations between Indonesia and France in a sustainable manner.