On Friday, August 23, Lontar launched, at Teater Utan Kayu, the novel Against the Grain, the English translation of Manusia Bebas, a novel by Suwarsih Djojopuspito. Speakers included Suwarsih’s granddaughter, Dewi Widyastuti, a lecturer at Sanata Dharma University; Isyana Artharini, an author who has written about Suwarsih; and moderator Dhianita Kusuma Pertiwi, a literary scholar. This event, held in cooperation with Komunitas Utan Kayu, was made possible with support from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology through its DanaIndonesiana program for the arts. Additional assistance was provided by Indolit Club of Sydney, Australia.

Isyana Artharini

John McGlynn, Dhianita Kusuma Pertiwi, Dewi Widyastuti, Isyana Artharini, Ayu Utami