THE LONTAR FOUNDATION
We are an independent, not-for-profit organization based in Jakarta, Indonesia,
promoting Indonesian literature and culture through the translation of its literary works
Against the Grain
By Suwarsih Djojopuspito
Translated by George A. Fowler
The Mystical Path of Badrul Mustafa
By Heru Joni Putra
Translated by George A. Fowler
The Lontar Anthology of Indonesian Drama
Vol. 1 Plays for the Popular Stage (1890-1960)
100 YEARS ASRUL SANI
Asrul Sani, born on June 10, 1926, was one of the leading figures of Indonesia’s Generation of ’45 and is widely regarded, together with Chairil Anwar and Rivai Apin, as part of the trio that transformed modern Indonesian poetry.
Born in Rao, West Sumatra, Asrul received his early education in Bukittinggi before continuing his studies in Jakarta. After completing his secondary education, Asrul studied veterinary medicine at what is now the Bogor Agricultural Institute (IPB). Despite his academic training in veterinary science, Asrul devoted his life to literature, film, and cultural affairs. Over the course of his career, he worked as a poet, fiction writer, screenwriter, stage and film director, and arts administrator.
Asrul’s friendship with Chairil Anwar proved especially significant. Together with Chairil and Rivai Apin, Asrul published the influential poetry anthology Tiga Menguak Takdir (Three Unveiling Destiny) in 1950. The three writers also issued the celebrated “Surat Kepercayaan Gelanggang” (“Gelanggang Statement of Beliefs”), a landmark declaration of artistic and cultural principles.
Although Asrul devoted much of his later career to filmmaking, particularly from the mid-1950s onward, he remained an important figure in Indonesian literary life.
The scholar Taufik Abdullah described Asrul Sani as one of the most significant modern cultural thinkers in Indonesian intellectual history.
IN MEMORIAM
Barbara Sillars Harvey, a long-time supporter of the Lontar Foundation, died on April 23, 2026, at the age of 92. Born to Scottish parents in Glasgow, Scotland, she grew up in northeastern Pennsylvania before moving to Washington, DC, to attend The George Washington University in 1952.
Barbara was a career Foreign Service officer and sometime academic. She began her career with the US Information Agency while still an undergraduate and later earned an MA from Radcliffe College in 1959. She then joined the USIA officer corps, serving twice in Seoul and once in Surabaya.
In 1968, she resigned from the USIA to pursue a PhD at Cornell University. Her dissertation, later published by Cambridge University Press as Tradition, Islam and Rebellion: South Sulawesi 1950–1965, became an important contribution to Indonesian studies.
Barbara later taught politics at Monash University before rejoining the Department of State in 1974. Her subsequent postings included Singapore, Surabaya, and Jakarta, where she served as Deputy Chief of Mission from 1993–1997. A trailblazer for women in the Foreign Service, Barbara also loved the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, knitting, puzzles, travel, NPR, and keeping close ties with her Scottish relatives and many friends around the world.
Rest in peace, dear Barbara.
“The Smiling Semar from America” (Semar Mesem dari Amerika) is a documentary film devoted to the life of Gregory John Churchill (1947-2022) and his love of Indonesian puppets. During his decades in Indonesia he collected more than 8,000 puppets from around Indonesia and other parts of the world.
The film was produced by the Lontar Foundation under the supervision of John H. McGlynn and directed by Eva Tobing.
Novel Against the Grain karya Suwarsih Djojopuspito bukan hanya berbicara tentang dunia pergerakan, tetapi juga kehidupan rumah tangga kaum pergerakan, tarik-menarik antara dunia privat dan publik di masa yang penuh gejolak. Novel ini boleh disebut sebagai novel feminis pertama dalam sastra Indonesia.
Mari bergabung dalam peluncuran dan diskusi “Perempuan dan Pergerakan”.
Jumat, 23 Agustus 2024
19.00 WIB
Komunitas Utan Kayu
Jalan Utan Kayu Raya 68H,
Matraman, Jakarta Timur
Pembicara:
Dewi Widyastuti
Isyana Artharini
Moderator:
Dhianita Kusuma Pertiwi
Registrasi:
bit.ly/Against_The_Grain
Acara ini terbuka untuk umum, tempat terbatas, gratis dengan pendaftaran.
Terselenggara atas kerja sama Yayasan Lontar dan Komunitas Utan Kayu.
Didukung oleh Dana Indonesiana – Kemendikbudristek – LPDP
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