Yogyakarta's new publishers offer alternative debate

Bambang M., The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta

Despite the scorching sun, many students hunt down books in Shopping, a popular book market in Yogyakarta. If you are an avid reader or a book collector, you will be surprised that new books can be found there every day.

Since the reform movement kicked off, the country's book industry, including in Yogyakarta, has undergone tremendous change. Books once banned can now easily be found in the market.

"This is a positive development since it opens up much information and offers alternative public discourse," said Arie Sujito, a lecturer at Gadjah Mada University's School of Social and Political Sciences.

Just like a drop of water in a desert, books offering alternative discourse always sell out, opening up new business opportunities and encouraging the emergence of new publishers.

Yogyakarta has witnessed a growing number of new publishers like Terawang, Jendela, Sumbu, Qalam, Kreasi Wacana, Lappera, JalaSutra, Fajar Pustaka Baru, IRCiSod, Galang Press, Gelombang Pasang, Pustaka Kendi, Ikon and Mata Bangsa. The year 1999 marked a peak in the emergence of new publishers in this city.

"Now, maybe there's some 60 publishers (in Yogyakarta)," said Ade Ma'ruf, manager of Jendela Publisher, which was set up in late 1999.

Exact data on publishers is not available, but the Yogyakarta's Indonesian Publishers Association (Ikapi) only has 37 members registered. Buldanul Khuri, owner of Bentang publisher and one of the Alternative Publishers Association's initiators, estimated around 40 to 50 new publishers emerged in the city after the reform era started.

But some publishers have simply "vanished" after publishing several books. Still, the tendency shows the increasing number of new publishers. Ade estimates that three to four new publishers emerge every month.

With the growing number of publishers, competition is getting tough.

Apart from supplying books in Yogyakarta, the books are also distributed throughout the country. For Gramedia, Indonesia's largest publisher, the emergence of new distributors is not exactly a problem.

"They (the new publishers) are still at the trial and error stage while we have much experience in selling marketable books to the public," said Anton W. Kamandoko, manager of Gramedia bookstore on Jl. Sudirman, Yogyakarta.

Though maybe the number of book publishers in Yogyakarta is still fewer than in other big cities like Jakarta, Yogyakarta's book publishers carefully select the books to be published.

"They are more creative in choosing materials for books to be published," said Sasongko Iswandaru, staff member of Ikapi secretariat in Yogyakarta.

They, for instance, publish books on alternative discourse, like Pemogokan Massa (Mass Strike) by Rosa Luxemburg (Gelombang Pasang publisher), Melawan Imperialisme (Fighting Imperialism) by Allan Wood (Sumbu), Revolusi Indonesia (Indonesian Revolution) by DN Aidit (Oesaha Terbitan Radja Minyak), Islam Borjuis dan Islam Proletar (Bourgeoisie Islam and Proletarian Islam) by Nur Kholik Ridwan (Galang Press) and many more.

Hundreds of books are published every month.

"The phenomenon (growing number of publishers) is similar to that experienced by newspapers. Very fast. In the end, what was published yesterday will be just like old books simply because there's plenty of new books being published today," said Edi AH Iyubenu, owner of IRCiSod, which publishes three book titles per month.

The publishers also pay attention to artistic and attractive cover designs.

"A book cover is considered a medium of expression, it's not just to protect or decorate a book," Sumbo Tinarbuko, an expert on visual communications design of Yogyakarta's Indonesian Arts Institute, said in a catalog of a recent fine art exhibition.

Some of the new publishers are young people, former student activists who recently graduated.

"We know what books youngsters are interested in," said Ade, a former student at Yogyakarta State University.

As for Ashad Kusuma Djaja of Kreasi Wacana, there's another reason. "In Yogyakarta there are scores, thousands of students, so the market is clear," said Ashad, an alumnus of Gadjah Mada University's School of Psychology.

Another reason for the emergence of new publishers is financial assistance from the Ford Foundation.

According to Ade, if all requirements are met, the Ford Foundation will cover some 80 percent of production costs for a book title. With the help of the Ford Foundation, Jendela could publish eight titles. The publisher now has two printing machines.

Buldanur Khuri, however, said that the majority of new book publishers in Yogyakarta did not receive aid from the Ford Foundation. Some publishers were set up simply out of idealism or as a means of self-expression.

Sumbu publisher, which publishes many books with a revolutionary theme, has never received aid. "We obviously refuse such aid," said Akif Abdul Wahid, Sumbu founder.

Idealism should not necessarily be against material gain. Often, titles that have only 1,500 or 2,000 copies printed can be reprinted several times. Religious Socialism by Kreasi Wacana, for instance, has been printed five times.

"In our shop, 70 percent of the books are from new publishers in Yogyakarta," said Anto W. Kamandoko.

Meanwhile, Lastri, a shop attendant at the Social Agency kiosk at Shopping, said she could sell three or four such books. "This is only from one kiosk," she said, adding that Social Agency had six kiosks in the book market.

However, books published by new publishers in Yogyakarta are not without fault. Translated books, which are mostly published without permits from copyright holders, are of very poor quality.

"It's one of our problems. If a permit is obtained, it would increase production costs because it means we would have to pay royalties. Our biggest problem is money," Ade Ma'ruf said.