Writers receive Rancage Awards

Two prominent Balinese writers, I Made Suarsa and I Made Taro, were declared recipients of Rancage Literary Awards 2005.

Member of the judges panel, chaired by veteran writer Ajip Rosidi, have given an award to Made Suarsa for his excellent work, a poetry collection titled Ang Ah Lan Ah Ang, (wording of a Hindu mantra) published in 2004.

I Made Taro was also selected for his significant contribution to the development of Balinese modern literature.

Rancage Literary Awards are bestowed every year on writers and individuals who have made a significant contribution to the development of regional literature.

Indonesia is home to hundreds of ethnic groups, each with a different language. The development of regional literature has been hampered in the last few years due to a lack of support, and the prevailing social and cultural situation.

Many, especially the young, have abandoned their mother tongues and adopted Bahasa Indonesia as their daily spoken language. Therefore, local artists have expressed concern at the possibility of the extinction of ethnic languages, both spoken and written.

The Rancage Awards, which will be presented next June in Jakarta, are given to those who consistently promote and preserve, as well as produce, works of ethnic literary merit. -- JP