2013
A Feast of Feisty Writers
13 October 2013
Day 1 done. Day 2 dawning. I survived the long hours - 14 in all, with only short 15-minute breaks dashing from one venue to another. Was all very exciting, but when someone asked me about the sessions I had attended at the end of the 14 hours my head went blank with fatigue.
Started the day with the quite large crowd of eager language learners at an open pavilion. Their tables were spread in a very long line. So it was good I was there to help clarify things for those at one end of the space. They were taught good morning and how to ask for a coffee or another beer - not much more in the time available. The lovely young Indonesian guy teaching had a very different approach than I would have used with a group of absolute beginners. But the people seemed to enjoy it. A couple of them asked for my card for possible lessons back home in Sydney. Today the class will be a lesson in Balinese of which I hardly know a word, so not attending that one. Will go back tomorrow and Tuesday though.
Then a dash up the hill for the opening with an address by Goenawan Mohamad, Indonesia's grand old man of letters, a journalist and philosopher. He founded the magazine Tempo (like Time). This was followed by a panel commenting on the legacy of Kartini and how, having been designated a "national hero" in 1964 (the year I started studying Indonesian) she has been rammed down the throats of endless millions of school kids without any of them ever actually being required to read her actual letters!! She is used as a symbol of femininity (exactly what she was NOT on about). Leading feminist writer, the beautiful Ayu Utami (much changed from her 2004 “bad girl’ image) and the Dutch-Australian editor of Kartini’s complete letters (Joost Coté) set the record straight. Great discussion, led by Debra Yatim. (She will send me that letter she wrote to Kartini.)
A dash back down the hill for “Voices of South East Asia” panel. A Malaysian, a Bruneian (poet /fashion plate), and a Filipino whose writing comes from a random list of words from things like the game Boggle! The mind boggles! His 18-month old son joined the panel out the front and entertained us all throughout!
Then “The Asian Century” with John McGlynn of Lontar and a fabulous Indian journalist and Australia Arts Council's Jill Eddington. They were discussing cross-Asia writing. It seems English is the only way to do this - and translating. Asian writers are beginning to write about other parts of Asia than their own countries. It’s called South-on-South writing. The Indian girl writes about China - has a huge readership in India loving her work comparing the two cultures.
Started the day with the quite large crowd of eager language learners at an open pavilion. Their tables were spread in a very long line. So it was good I was there to help clarify things for those at one end of the space. They were taught good morning and how to ask for a coffee or another beer - not much more in the time available. The lovely young Indonesian guy teaching had a very different approach than I would have used with a group of absolute beginners. But the people seemed to enjoy it. A couple of them asked for my card for possible lessons back home in Sydney. Today the class will be a lesson in Balinese of which I hardly know a word, so not attending that one. Will go back tomorrow and Tuesday though.
Then a dash up the hill for the opening with an address by Goenawan Mohamad, Indonesia's grand old man of letters, a journalist and philosopher. He founded the magazine Tempo (like Time). This was followed by a panel commenting on the legacy of Kartini and how, having been designated a "national hero" in 1964 (the year I started studying Indonesian) she has been rammed down the throats of endless millions of school kids without any of them ever actually being required to read her actual letters!! She is used as a symbol of femininity (exactly what she was NOT on about). Leading feminist writer, the beautiful Ayu Utami (much changed from her 2004 “bad girl’ image) and the Dutch-Australian editor of Kartini’s complete letters (Joost Coté) set the record straight. Great discussion, led by Debra Yatim. (She will send me that letter she wrote to Kartini.)
A dash back down the hill for “Voices of South East Asia” panel. A Malaysian, a Bruneian (poet /fashion plate), and a Filipino whose writing comes from a random list of words from things like the game Boggle! The mind boggles! His 18-month old son joined the panel out the front and entertained us all throughout!
Then “The Asian Century” with John McGlynn of Lontar and a fabulous Indian journalist and Australia Arts Council's Jill Eddington. They were discussing cross-Asia writing. It seems English is the only way to do this - and translating. Asian writers are beginning to write about other parts of Asia than their own countries. It’s called South-on-South writing. The Indian girl writes about China - has a huge readership in India loving her work comparing the two cultures.
Heard David Vann, an American backwoods writer interviewed by Jennifer Byrne. Fabulous speaker but nothing would get me to read any of his violent stuff. Guns galore, but, so he says, with a higher purpose!
Book launch early evening of Leila Chudori 's books in the grand new French bar /restaurant called Rouge! Fantastique! And yes, lots of red!! (colour, not wine - you had to buy your own!) I met Leila in Tasmania a while back and read her anthology of short stories, The Longest Kiss then. The best literary work out of Indonesia I have ever read. There were readings from this in English and her novel about 1965 exiles living abroad and the horrors following the coup, called Pulang (English title is Home) – in the second half one of the exile's daughter comes home to Indonesia in 1998 at the time of the violent put-down of demonstrators that brought down Soeharto. A long reading in Indonesian with the English (the book is not yet fully translated) on a screen. Very moving. It is very important for Indonesia that literature is coming out about those times.
As if that was not enough I still had Lionel Shriver to go. Had bought a ticket to the Special Event. Which was really just another interview session except for the additional price tag. But she was bloody brilliant and worth every rupiah - so feisty and funny and outspoken. She goes in for "serial fury"- things that anger her at a time, so much so she has to write about them. Her current beef is economics and how we have been conned to accept national debt and inflation as normal when it is we whose dollars in our pockets are being devalued. Expect a wonderful book out of this fury! I want to read the one on the US medical system when I get home. Her latest is Big Brother on obesity and family responsibility. Jennifer Byrne interviewed her too, and the two of them had great rapport. As yet I have only read We Need to Talk About Kevin, a real shocker on a high school massacre.
Alex's mum, Fleur and her friend were at the Shriver event too, so lovely for me that Yoga was waiting outside to pick them up - and able to drop me home too!
So here we go again. Off to hear the two Ians on "Across the Spice Islands" first off.