To the Contrary

Description

About the Author

A. A. Navis or Ali Akbar Navis (Padangpanjang, West Sumatra, November 17, 1924–Padang, March 22, 2003) wrote short stories, poetry, novels, children’s stories and essays on art and culture. He graduated from Indonesische Nederlandse School (INS) Kayutaman, a private middle school, in West Sumatra (1943). He served as Director of Art in the Department of Culture, Central Sumatra province (1955–1957), the head editor of Semangat magazine (1971–1972) and a member of the local legislature of West Sumatra province (1971–1982). He produced five short collections: Robohnya Surau Kami (1956), Bianglala (1963), Hujan Panas (1964), Jodoh (1998) and Bertanya Kerbau pada Pedati (2002). His novels include Kemarau (1967), Saraswati, si Gadis dalam Sunyi (1970), which won an award from Unesco in 1968, and Di Lintasan Mendung (1983). His short story “Robohnya Surau Kami” (published as “The Decline of the Local Prayer House”) won second prize from Kisah magazine (1955). He also received an Award for the Arts from the Ministry of Education and Culture (1988), the SEA Write Award (1992) and the Anugerah Buku Utama Award from Unesco/IKAPI (Indonesian Publishers Association) for his stories, Cerita Rakyat Sumatera Barat 2 (1999).