Interview with Faisal Oddang for the British Council

Here in Yangon, our creative writing classes are in full swing, and it’s a lot of fun; but I’m also aware that back in the UK things are gearing up for the London Book Fair, and I’m also disappointed that I can’t be in two places at once. This year the LBF has an Indonesia focus, and as some Indonesian writer friends are going to be over in the UK, I’m sad not to be there with them.

As some compensation, the British Council asked me to do an online interview with the remarkably energetic and prolific Faisal Oddang, one of Indonesia’s most exciting young writers. The interview can be found on the British Council website. Faisal is a fascinating interviewee, and our brief exchange covers politics, violence, religion, traditional Bugis culture, gender and writing as a process of getting to grips with understanding the world. Go and have a read!