Javanese literature shelved but not forgotten

Indra Harsaputra The Jakarta Post/Kediri

With precision, Sutjahjo Gani, a dentist by profession, rearranges the books in his library. The task is a nightly one that he takes great pleasure in.

Even though the books, of which there are thousands, are old, they are in mint condition.

The books have not been rebound, though they have been read over and over again -- but only by a select group.

The truth is that not everybody can read them as they were written in Javanese. Some were even written using the Javanese characters, Hanacaraka.

"My job is to preserve Javanese literature so that it won't be forgotten. I hope to preserve these books so that they can be enjoyed by many people," Sutjahjo told The Jakarta Post.

The book collection was passed on to Sutjahjo by its owner, Tan Khoen Swie, a publisher of Javanese literature, who in 1953 established a publishing company on Jl. Dhoho, Kediri, East Java.

At that time the company was called Boekhandelen Schryfbehoeften (which literally means book shop in Dutch) Tan Khoen Swie. The company was the only one publishing Javanese literature at that time.

A Javanese literature publisher in Kudus, Kwa Giok Djing, confirmed the matter.

In his book, Pudjangga, Kwa wrote that Tan Khoen Swie's company had played a key role in the preservation of Javanese literature.

Around 200 books were published by Tan Khoen Swie.

Besides being published in Central Javanese, books were also published in Bahasa Melayu, among them; People's Entertainment, Irian and the Freedom Struggle Round Table Conference, Ladder of Spiritualism, Prophet Khong Tjoe's Biography and Agricultural Problems.

Sutjahjo said the provincial administration had not shown much interest in the books' preservation.

"They said no one would be interested in a Javanese literature library. So they dropped the plan," said Sutjahjo.

Literary and cultural figures to have visited Sutjahjo's library include writers Mira Sidharta and Claudine Salmone from France, cultural observer Arswendo Atmowiloto and researcher from the Jakarta Arts Institute Sardono W. Kusuma.

Sutjahjo said that to preserve Javanese literature, businesspeople, artists and professionals had come together for a forum called Pamikad, Sekar Rinonce and the Macapat group (Javanese poetry recital and singing group accompanied by gamelan music), spearheaded by Rinto Harno from the Kediri-based giant clove cigarette manufacturer, Gudang Garam.