Literary biennale judged a success

A. Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Utan Kayu International Literary Biennale 2005 ended on Saturday evening with many people calling the event a success, while suggesting a similar event be held in the future.

Taking place at the Teater Utan Kayu (TUK) in East Jakarta, the biennale concluded with lovely prose and poetry readings by writers and poets from Indonesia (Iswadi Pratama, Dewi Lestari and Landung Simatupang), The Netherlands (Ramsey Nasr), Turkey (Asli Erdogan), The United States (Pulitzer-prize winner Robert Olen Butler) and Australia (Jan Cornall).

The closing ceremony of the event, which was supported by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, The Prince Claus Fund, The United States and the Australian-Indonesia Institute, also featured the Royke Koapaha Ensemble from Indonesia.

"It was a very good event. I was very proud that an international event could be held here," The Ministry of Tourism and Culture Secretary-General Sapta Nirwandar told The Jakarta Post.

Sapta said the event was consistent with the ministry's mission to preserve and develop certain aspects of the nation's culture, especially literary readings or verbal traditions, which had been long established in the country.

He said the ministry would lend its support if the committee planned to organize a similar event in the future, suggesting the future events could be held in many more cities of the country.

The festival began on Aug. 25 in Bandung and traveled to Bandar Lampung on Aug. 26 before coming to Jakarta, where it was held from Thursday to Saturday.

As many as 35 local and international authors and poets participated in the event, which was organized by the Utan Kayu Community and the Hague-based Winternachten.

Well-known local writers, such as Budi Darma, Afrizal Malna, and Hamsad Rangkuti, together with some up-and-coming authors, like Eka Kurniawan, Dinar Rahayu and Shinta Febriany were some of the highlights of the festival.

During the biennale themed "Living Together", participants also discussed social, domestic and international issues.

Besides literary readings, a discussion on "The Truth and Reconciliation", which featured South African poet and journalist Antjie Krog and Acehnese poet Azhari, was also held.

Local writers and ordinary people enthusiastically watched the readings in Bandung, Lampung and Jakarta.

"It was a full house. We are very proud. It was the first such international event ever held in Lampung," poet Iswadi Pratama explained.

For similar events in the future, he suggested more workshops involving international participants be held in addition to literary readings and personal meetings among writers.

Iswadi, who is also an event organizer in Lampung, lamented the fact that none of the Lampung governmental officials came to attend the festival.

"It was an international event that could give Lampung a good name. They (officials) should have given it attention by coming to the event," he complained.