'Voice of oppressed' Seno sweeps literary awards

'Voice of oppressed' Seno sweeps literary awards

JAKARTA (JP): Many people are oppressed but only a few dare to
speak out against it. Seno Gumira Ajidarma, winner of this year's
Southeast Asia Write Award and one of the country's most prolific
writers, is one of them.

His 1995 short story anthology, Dilarang Menyanyi di Kamar
Mandi (Singing in the Bathroom Prohibited), impressed the jury in
the annual event.

Seno received the award from Thai Prince Maha Vajralongkorn in
Bangkok on Sept. 26. Poets and writers A.A. Navis, Taufik
Ismail, W.S. Rendra, Umar Kayam, Sapardi Djokodamono, Danarto,
Sutardji C. Bachri and Subagio Sastrowardoyo are among past
Indonesian winners.

On Monday, Seno received the Indonesian Literary Award for the
same book.

Although his short stories are loaded with protests against
oppression, Seno said he did not set out to be a defender of the
disenfranchised. He said it was only to be expected for people to
feel for the less fortunate.

The difference is that he shows his concern through his
writing.

"A writer writes anything," he was quoted by Kompas daily as
saying. "The blowing wind, the flying leaves. What passes through
my life is oppression. Besides, I was once oppressed. And,
oppression is 'dramatic',...easy to write."

He said oppression became an interesting literary topic when
it exceeded tolerance levels.

Seno, born in Boston on June 19, 1958, is an editor at Jakarta
Jakarta magazine. His first poetry anthology, Mati mati mati
(Dead dead dead), was published when he was 17.

In the same year, he joined the Teater Alam theater group. He
has displayed strong commitment to the arts ever since.

Seno judged Indonesian literature to be in the saddest state
among Southeast Asian countries.

"We are the worst, especially when it comes to financial
matters," he said.

He complained of a lack of government attention to literature.
"(Governments of) Brunei and Malaysia help writers in publishing
their books. Thailand organizes this (Southeast Asia Write)
award."

He also cited the lack of public interest in reading. He
faulted the education system for not instilling a love of the
printed word.

"Our education system measures one's success from a title, not
intelligence. Success is having a title, a car, a house...maybe
it is like that. But it is not about being clever."

People, even those who are educated, are not interested in
literature, he said. "I don't believe that our economists, let
alone politicians, read literary works."

Seno majored in cinematography at the Jakarta Arts Education
Institute. He was also a stringer for Merdeka daily. He later
joined Zaman, a cultural magazine managed by the Tempo group.

Seno quit when Zaman underwent a change of name and mission as
Matra, a men's lifestyle magazine. He helped in the establishment
of Jakarta Jakarta in 1985.

Since 1978, he has published the poetry collections Bayi Mati
(Dead Baby) and Catatan Mira Sato (Mira Sato's Diary). His short
story anthologies include Penembak Misterius (Mysterious Snipper,
1993), Saksi Mata (Eyewitness, 1994), Sebuah Pertanyaan Untuk
Cinta (A Question for Love, 1996) and Negeri Kabut (A Misty
Country, 1996).

His novel Jazz, Parfum dan Insiden (Jazz, Perfume and
Incident) was published earlier this year. Awaiting publication
are his nonfiction book Cara Bertutur dalam Film Indonesia:
Menengok 20 Skenario Pemenang Citra FFI 1973-1992 (Narration in
Indonesian Films: Looking Back at 20 Screenplays of Winners of
the Citra Indonesian Film Festival Awards 1973-1992), and a
collection of essays, Ketika Jurnalisme Dibungkam, Sastra Harus
Bicara (When Journalism is Restricted, Literature Must Speak).
(sim)