Reading matters for Winfred Hutabarat

Reading matters for Winfred Hutabarat

Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A Yale graduate who has found his place in the world
of books, Winfred Hutabarat wants others to return to the printed
page even in the age of the Net.

Sporting a long-sleeve striped white shirt over jeans and
sneakers, and with his clean, boyish look, Winfred Hutabarat
could have been mistaken for one of the hip young adults working
at Aksara bookstore in Kemang, South Jakarta.

Except that he is actually in his mid 30s, and is the co-
founder of the bookstore, along with three business partners,
including food writer Laksmi Pamuntjak.

But Winfred is far removed from the image of the intimidating
and arrogant boss -- he refers to his employees as colleagues and
greets each and every one of them in a friendly way.

A former Aksara employee vouched that Winfred was an attentive
supervisor who treated his staff like his peers.

"Whereas he's, like, very smart, you know. I mean, he
graduated from Yale," he said.

Why on earth would a graduate of one of America's most famous
universities end up opening a bookstore, you ask?

"I've always liked books. At the end, it boils down to doing
something you like and are passionate about. It is always
enjoyable to do something that you like. That I think is very,
very rewarding," said Winfred, a graduate in international
relations.

Still, for all his years spent at such a prominent university,
the funds spent by "very generous parents" and the need for
young, intellectual people in the government, it may seem a waste
that his talents have been put elsewhere.

"I don't look at it that way. I do things that can contribute
to society in a different way. I'm doing my part by selling books
to people," he said.

"Running a bookstore also requires an analytical mind, we have
to be able to come up with solutions, and that's what education
is for in the end. I don't think I would enjoy myself working in
the government."

Indeed, in the three years since Aksara first opened in 2001,
the place has grown from a rather undistinctive bookstore to an
intriguing alternative site for young, cosmopolitan urbanites to
find books and records (except for the funky and cute but
overpriced gift items like colorful stationart and transparent
clocks that we do not actually need).

"We wanted it to be more than a bookstore. We think it's fun
to be selling CDs, a range of gift items, to play music in the
background.... It's more of a lifestyle experience. We'd like to
think that we're the only one applying that concept."

Young people, of course, love the funky gift items, but the
great find is the record store, a true safe haven for music buffs
to pick up rare CDs and even vinyls, or to watch performances by
indie bands.

Winfred said the record section contributed about 30 percent
to the store's revenue.

But the main business is still the books, mainly in English.

Aksara is perhaps one of the few retailers in Jakarta which
allocates quite a big portion of its stock to architecture, arts
and design.

Our interview was held on the same night of the launching of
West Meets East from architect Yori Antar, bringing together a
who's who of the local architecture, arts and design scenes.

"We're interested in urban affairs, including architecture,"
Winfred acknowledged.

A nice sign is that the number of bookstores selling English
books is growing, including Aksara.

As it recently opened its third branch in Plaza Indonesia,
Central Jakarta, Winfred said the reading habit -- something that
Indonesians are severely lacking -- has grown.

"Not just for literature, but for example, when people want to
build houses, they look and buy books on architecture. A lot of
kids come and read and buy books, that's somewhat encouraging.
There's a basic interest to get knowledge through books."

It parallels the growing local literary scene, with a lot of
young talent, especially women.

"I enjoy reading Ayu Utami, some of Dewi Lestari's work... I'm
not sure in terms of quality where (the local writers) are in, in
comparison to their compatriots from countries with a more
developed literary tradition. But the fact that they are doing
and selling it, it's already a fast progression."

Along with his team, Winfred strives to provide quality books
on a wide range of topics, with him focusing on nonfiction,
politics and business books.

Asked about what kind of books people should read more, he
said people should simply read more because, despite the Internet
and all, basic knowledge still could be found in the written
word.

"But to boost reading habits, accessibility in terms of
pricing is important. Maybe governments should do something to
boost the book industry, eliminating sales tax.... basically
making it more affordable, like in India and Malaysia.

"Right now we try not to mark the price up too much. But even
if we don't, it's still high."

At the moment, Winfred and his business partners are focusing
on how to develop Aksara for the longer term as a sustainable
business.

"We are still growing. There is a plan to open in other
locations, like Bali and Bandung. But for now, we're still
focusing in Jakarta. Because we'd like to be hands on, to be here
in our stores to feel what's happening."