The Lontar Foundation, a not-for-profit organization based in Jakarta

Jakarta

Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...

, Indonesia

Indonesia

Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...

, was founded in 1987 by four Indonesian writers: Goenawan Mohamad

Goenawan Mohamad

Goenawan Mohamad is a renowned Indonesian poet and man of letters.Goenawan Mohamad was born in Batang, Central Java. His early writings include Potret Seorang Penyair Muda Sebagai Si Malin Kundang and Seks, Sastra, Kita ,'"Kesusastraan dan Kekuasaan' Goenawan Mohamad (born 29 July 1941) is a...

, Sapardi Djoko Damono

Sapardi Djoko Damono

Sapardi Djoko Damono is an Indonesian poet known for lyrical poems, and who is widely regarded as the pioneer of lyrical poetry in Indonesia.Sapardi began writing poetry while still in high school in Surakarta...

, Umar Kayam

Umar Kayam

Umar Kayam was an Indonesian sociologist and writer born in Ngawi, East Java, on April 30, 1932 and died on March 16, 2002. He followed education in Hollands Inlands School Mangkunegoro, Surakarta, where his father also taught. After that, he continued his education to MULO, then continued the...

, and Subagio Sastrowardoyo

Subagio Sastrowardoyo

Subagio Sastrowardoyo was an Indonesian poet, short-story writer, essayist and literary critic. Born in Madiun, East Java, the Dutch East Indies , he was educated at Gadjah Mada University, Cornell University and Yale University...

and the American translator, John H. McGlynn.

The foundation is an independent organization, neither affiliated with nor intended to promote the interests of any particular political cause or group. The Foundation's core activity is the translation and publication of Indonesian literary works whose long term goals are:

• To stimulate the further development of Indonesian literature;
• To make Indonesian literature accessible to an international audience; and
• To preserve for future generations Indonesia's literary record.

One of the more significant ventures of the publishing venture was the book published in 2005 - Indonesia in the Soeharto Years - Issues, Incidents and images - written by John H. McGlynn and a large number of other writers.