• Saman, 1998

    (fiksi)
    Saman adalah novel pertama saya yang terbit, masih di era rezim militer. Cerita ini saya tulis setelah saya—sebagai salah satu pendiri dan aktivis Aliansi Jurnalis Independen—tidak boleh lagi bekerja sebagai wartawan.

    Saman bercerita tentang empat perempuan kota yang bersahabat sejak kecil dan hubungan mereka dengan Saman, seorang bekas pastor Katolik yang kini menjadi aktivis. Saman diburu oleh aparat rezim militer. Para perempuan dalam cerita ini membantu pelariannya ke luar negeri. Novel ini berlatar Indonesia era Jenderal Soeharto.

    Saman mendapatkan penghargaan Novel Terbaik Dewan Kesenian Jakarta 1998, dan saya mendapat Prince Claus Award 2000, karena dianggap memperluas batas cakrawala sastra Indonesia melalui bentuk penulisan maupun keterbukaan isinya, baik soal politik, agama, maupun seks.


    Saman menjadi bestseller nasional dan terus dicetak ulang (33 dalam 16 tahun). Saman telah diterjemahkan dalam bahasa Belanda, Jepang, Inggris, Prancis, Italia, Cheko, Jerman, Korea, dan segera Amharik (Ethiopia).

  • Saman

    (fiction)
    This is my first published novel, still during the military regime. I wrote it when my name were among the blacklisted journalists who had just established the Alliance of Independent Journalists to strive for press freedom.

    Saman tells stories about four urban middle class women who have been best friend from schools, and their connection to Saman, an ex Catholic priest turned activist. Saman is hunted by the military regime. The female characters in this story help him to flee abroad. The novel is set in the era of General Soeharto.

    Saman won the best novel competition of The Jakarta Arts Council in 1998. The jury considered its narrative form and the opennes of its content as a breakthrough that expanded the horizon of the Indonesian literature. It was considered to be daring in tackling the issues ranging from politic, religion and sexuaIity. I was awarded the Prince Claus Award in 2000 for the same consideration.

    Saman was a national bestseller. It has gone to 33 reprint in 16 years. Saman has been published in Dutch, Japanese, English, French, Italy, Chzechs, German, Korean, and, will soon in Amharic (Ethiopia).

  • Larung, 2001

    (fiksi)
    Larung adalah lanjutan Saman.
    Dalam cerita, Saman telah tinggal di New York dan bekerja pada Human Rights Watch. Ia menjalin hubungan gelap dengan salah satu dari empat tokoh perempuan. Bersama Yasmin dan Larung mereka hendak menyelamatkan tiga mahasiswa yang akan ditangkap oleh rezim militer. Tapi Larung adalah karakter yang tak bisa diduga sehingga misi itu jadi berbahaya.

    Larung termasuk dalam finalis Khatulistiwa Literary Award 2001. Larung telah diterbitkan di Belanda (Penerjemah: Maya Liem & Monique Soesman) dan Jerman (penerjemah: Peter Sternagel).

    Saya sering menyebut Saman-Larung sebagai dwilogi. Keduanya sebetulnya adalah satu buku

  • Larung

    (fiction)
    Larung is the sequel of Saman.
    Saman has been living in New York city and is working for the Human Rights Watch. He has a love affair with one of the main female characters. Together with Yasmin and Larung, they are now helping three student activists who were being sought by the military government. Larung is an unpredictable character that poses a danger to the mission.

    Larung is shortlisted for Khatulistiwa Literary Award 2001. Larung has been published in The Netherlands (translators: Maya Liem & Monique Soesman) and Germany (translator: Peter Sternagel).

    I would consider Saman and Larung as a duology. The two are infact one book.

Excerpts

The latest covers of Saman & Larung (2013). Glass paintings I specially made for them.

Saman Larung

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