INDONESIA FOCUS: Q+A Laksmi Pamuntjak

Indonesia is the country of focus at the London Book Fair this year and recently at Frankfurt - to what extent do you think Indonesian literature is finally having it's moment in the spotlight? I cannot say for certain what these one-off ‘spotlights’ on Indonesian literature would mean for Indonesian literature in the long term. But it is an encouraging sign; the relatively short three-and-a-half-year gap between Frankfurt Book Fair (FBF) 2015 and London Book Fair (LBF) 2019 means we are still—or possibly even more—interesting to the publishing industry. And while I wish more Indonesian writers are being translated into English—and translated well—some of us are starting to break through internationally. It always takes one or two to pave the way. For me personally, FBF was a game changer in many ways. Before that we didn’t have the publishing infrastructure necessary with which to promote our literature abroad. We didn’t have literary agents – in fact I only knew of one, and he used to work for my Indonesian publisher Gramedia. It was he who took a chance on the English version of my first novel, Amba/The Question of Red, and brought it to Frankfurt Book Fair in 2013, where the novel was picked up by Ullstein Verlag and published in Germany in 2015, ahead of the FBF.  So I was very fortunate. A few months later, I landed a literary agent in New York, through whom I managed to sell world rights to other European markets. Later this year, I signed up with another literary... Continue reading at 'British Council global'

[ British Council global | 2019-02-08 10:06:53 UTC ]

Other news stories related to: "INDONESIA FOCUS: Q+A Laksmi Pamuntjak"


My weeks of reading hornily: steamy book sales have doubled – and I soon found out why

From fairy porn to romantasy via the Omegaverse, publishing is sexier than ever. The reason? A big shift in gen Z and millennial attitudes to respectability and shame ...I spent a fortnight reading nothing but smut and I don’t need to give you a reason. But since there is one, here it is:... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2024-08-06 04:00:33 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Frankfurter Buchmesse’s 2024 Rights Center Sells Out

With 320 agencies in its Literary Agents and Scouts Center, Frankfurt Book Fair will also feature a Games Business Center and a Book-to-Screen Day. The post Frankfurter Buchmesse’s 2024 Rights Center Sells Out appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-07-31 17:57:19 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Edna O’Brien, Writer Who Gave Voice to Women’s Passions, Dies at 93

Her novels and short stories often explored the lives of willful women who loved men who were crass, unfaithful or already married. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2024-07-29 02:48:48 UTC ]
More news stories like this


If A.I. Is Coming for Comedy Writers, Simon Rich Is Ready

The author of humorous short stories finds emotional connections in tales that engage with tech. But he’s more interested in the ties between humans. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2024-07-24 09:04:44 UTC ]
More news stories like this


War, Trauma, and Human Courage: A Conversation with Zhang Ling, by Yan Lu

War, Trauma, and Human Courage: A Conversation with Zhang Ling, by Yan Lu Interviews robvollmar@ou.edu Mon, 07/22/2024 - 16:20 Zhang Ling is the author of ten novels, including A Single Swallow (trans. Shelly Bryant) and Where Waters Meet, the... Continue reading at World Literature Today

[ World Literature Today | 2024-07-22 21:20:19 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Jo Callaghan wins crime novel of the year with story of an AI detective

In the Blink of an Eye was praised at the Theakston Old Peculier crime writing festival as ‘changing the way we think about policing forever’A “boundary-pushing take on the police procedural” which features a human detective working with an AI sleuth in order to solve a missing persons case has... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2024-07-19 16:29:44 UTC ]
More news stories like this


“All Art Is History”: A Conversation with Parul Kapur, by Sangamithra Iyer

“All Art Is History”: A Conversation with Parul Kapur, by Sangamithra Iyer Interviews robvollmar@ou.edu Tue, 07/16/2024 - 15:20 On March 26, 2024, the Asian American Writers’ Workshop co-sponsored an event at Yu and Me Books to celebrate the New... Continue reading at World Literature Today

[ World Literature Today | 2024-07-16 20:20:51 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Book Review: ‘Bright Objects,’ by Ruby Todd

Set among the fevered residents of a remote Australian town, Ruby Todd’s debut novel considers how grief can draw people to extreme beliefs. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2024-07-16 09:00:27 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Envy, Obsession, and Instagram: On My Mental Breakdown at an Esteemed Writing Conference

It’s the spring of 2021, and the pandemic is beginning to slide away from us in ways that still feel impossible. But there is work to do. There is lost time to make up for. Even though I have a debut novel publishing this summer, I have been getting rejection after rejection for every literary […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-07-12 08:56:22 UTC ]
More news stories like this


The Best YA Book Deals of the Day for July 6, 2024

It's a bumper crop of YA book deals, with something for every kind of reader. Grab horror, fantasy, short stories, and more on the cheap. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2024-07-06 14:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Promoting New and Unexpected Crossings: A Conversation with Leonora Djament, by Aitana Bellido

Promoting New and Unexpected Crossings: A Conversation with Leonora Djament, by Aitana Bellido Interviews robvollmar@ou.edu Mon, 07/01/2024 - 15:34 Leonora Djament has been editorial director of the Argentine publishing house Eterna Cadencia... Continue reading at World Literature Today

[ World Literature Today | 2024-07-01 20:34:20 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Book Club: Let’s Talk About ‘Headshot,’ by Rita Bullwinkel

Bullwinkel’s debut novel sheds light on the culture of youth women’s boxing through an ensemble cast of complicated characters. It packs a punch. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2024-06-28 20:00:57 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Book Review: “Practice” by Rosalind Brown

Starring an undergraduate student at Oxford, Rosalind Brown’s debut novel is exquisitely attuned to the thrill and boredom of academic life. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2024-06-22 09:00:56 UTC ]
More news stories like this


A Summary and Analysis of Clarice Lispector’s ‘A Chicken’

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) The Ukrainian-born Brazilian novelist and short-story writer Clarice Lispector (1920-77) has not had as much attention as her fellow titans of South American literature, Jorge Luis Borges and Gabriel García Márquez. But her short stories are often... Continue reading at Interesting Literature

[ Interesting Literature | 2024-06-12 14:00:27 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Here are the guest editors (and new covers!) for the Best American Series 2024.

The Best American Series is a literary institution. But just in case you’re stumbling upon it for the first time: Each book in the annual series showcases of best short fiction and nonfiction in a given year, from short stories to essays, science and nature writing, to food writing. Each... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-06-11 14:00:24 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Endnotes: How ‘Beautiful Villain’ by Rebecca Kenney Got Made

An inside look at the publication process for the author’s paranormal reimagining of ‘The Great Gatsby.’ Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-06-07 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Going once, going twice. Literary Agents of Change is having its annual auction!

Do you find yourself in the querying spirit this spring? Or have you, perhaps, a burning question for a literary icon? If yes or yes, consider checking out the second annual auction hosted by Literary Agents of Change, a nonprofit “dedicated to providing access, education, and support to... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-06-06 14:24:44 UTC ]
More news stories like this


I Think Most Short Stories Are Glorified Therapy Sessions: Am I the Literary Asshole?

Hello, readers! I’m your host, Kristen Arnett, advice columnist (and Dad) extraordinaire. I’m excited to welcome you back to yet another special episode of Am I the Literary Asshole?, an advice column that asks if “head empty, just vibes” is simply a nice way of describing a hangover. My head?... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-05-30 13:32:53 UTC ]
More news stories like this


12 Brilliant Short Stories by Asian Americans to Read For Free Online

As Asian American Pacific Islander Month comes to end, it’s important to remind ourselves that the Asian American identity is more than just race or shared affinity. Born out of political activism and the anti-war movement to protest and rally against injustice, warfare, imperialism, and... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2024-05-30 11:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


“Last Acts” Is a Father-Son Story Where Neither Man Knows How To Communicate

Alexander Sammartino’s debut novel Last Acts opens on David Rizzo, owner of a failing firearms store located in an Arizona strip mall, en route to the hospital to retrieve his estranged son Nick, an addict who has just briefly experienced death in the form of a drug overdose. Grappling with what... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2024-05-29 11:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this