Eliza V. Handayani's Blog, page 5
February 11, 2016
A Bloody Past: On Censorship in Indonesia
In a country as diverse as Indonesia—with hundreds of ethnicities, many faiths, and with an authoritarian history, it can be difficult to talk about controversial issues. Since the fall of the New Order, Indonesia has taken steps to guarantee freedom of expression. Unfortunately, laws that contradict those steps have also been passed.
December 14, 2015
Us + Them (bahasa Indonesia)
Sesekali sebutir nasi atau seiris bawang goreng tersisa di pinggir bibir mereka, bagai seorang minoritas atau kambing hitam, yang kemudian mereka enyahkan dengan sapuan tangan.
December 13, 2015
Us + Them (excerpt)
She eyed the sweaty strangers around them, tearing off pieces of flesh, crunching into crackers, red sauce dripping from their fingers. Every now and then a lone grain of rice or shred of onion would cling to the corner of their lips, like a lonely outcast or scapegoat, only to be obliterated with a swipe of their greasy hands.
November 14, 2015
Oslo Launch, 25 September 2015
Love, freedom, and identity are all connected. If we have freed ourselves from a repressive regime, from unfair social norms, can we be free to be who we are? Can we break free from our own fears, from our own past? Are we free to choose what kind of person we want to be, or are we destined to be a certain way because of our genes, our upbringing, and other forces beyond our control? All these questions I try to explore a little bit in my novel.
November 2, 2015
Ubud Launch Cancelation and A Peaceful Protest
After warnings from local police, the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2015 has had to cancel the launch of Eliza Vitri Handayani’s novel From Now On Everything Will Be Different.
October 29, 2015
Ubud Launch Cancellation and A Peaceful Protest
After warnings from local police, the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2015 has had to cancel the launch of Eliza Vitri Handayani’s novel From Now On Everything Will Be Different.
UWRF Launch Cancellation & A Peaceful Good-humoured Protest
After warnings from local police, the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2015 has had to cancel the launch of Eliza Vitri Handayani’s novel From Now On Everything Will Be Different.
October 24, 2015
Manila Launch: “New Voices” with Beth Yahp, David Carlin, and Eliza Vitri Handayani
In the Age newspaper just last week this book was reviewed with the opening line: “most Australian readers of this novel will be ashamed to realise how little most of us know about Indonesia.” And the closing line: “This novel is a compelling read: the plot is unpredictable and the writing full of energy.” I agree wholeheartedly. It was a great read. It taught me so much as an Australian about one our nearest neighbours.
October 22, 2015
Reading, Discussion, and Book Signing at Frankfurt Book Fair 2015
As the nation struggled to determine what Indonesia should look like in Reformasi and beyond, these two character were also struggling to determine what they wanted to be. More than just a love story, this novel is very smart with a very interesting structure, going back and forth in time and mixing epistolary form of emails and text messages with chronological narration.
October 18, 2015
Reading, Discussion, and Book Signing at Frankfurt Book Fair 2015
As the nation struggled to determine what Indonesia should look like in Reformasi and beyond, these two character were also struggling to determine what they wanted to be. More than just a love story, this novel is very smart with a very interesting structure, going back and forth in time and mixing epistolary form of emails and text messages with chronological narration.
