Slaacast

In the ninth and currently final episode of Current Literary Affairs, Lisanne Snelders speaks with Indonesian author Ayu Utami and Dutch poet and musician Robin Block. With Indonesia's election of former general Prabowo Subantio as its new president, they revisit Utami’s debut novel, Saman, from 1998. The book was published just before the fall of Suharto's military regime, a period marked by human rights violations and limited freedom. Does the choice of Prabowo signify a potential return to this period, which is scarcely taught in schools? Which histories are remembered, which ones are forgotten? What role does literature play in this? And how do Block and Utami address these themes in their work? Ayu Utami (1968) is a writer, journalist, and organizer. In 1998, she made her debut with the highly acclaimed novel Saman, just before the fall of the Suharto regime. She studied Russian literature, worked as a journalist, and is one of the founders of The Alliance of Independent Journalists. She has published s