Marga T
Encyclopedia
Marga Tjoa is an Indonesia
n popular
romance
and children's literature
writer better known by the pen name Marga T. One of Indonesia's most prolific writers, she first became well-known in 1971 for her serial Karmila that was published as a book in 1973 and later made into a film. As of 2006, she has published 38 novels.
(peranakan
) family in Jakarta
in 1943. She started writing young and by age 21, had published her first short story, "Room 27" . It was followed by her first book in 1969, a children's story
titled My Home is My Castle . During this time she was also educated as a physician at Trisakti University
.
Tjoa became famous after first novel, Karmila, was published in 1971. In 1972 she followed Karmilas success with The Storm Will Surely Pass , which was serialized
in Kompas
between 5 June and 2 September 1972, with a novelized version being published in 1974. Both novels were adapted
into movies, with Badai Pasti Berlalu
going on to win four Citra awards
. This early success convinced her to continue writing.
During the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Tjoa published more popular novels, including An Illusion , The Red Saga , and Doctor Sabara's Secret . She also published some collections of short stories
, including Love Song and Monik.
In 2004, Tjoa published A Bud of Hope to commemorate the eighth anniversary of the 1998 Jakarta Riots. It deals with the violence and rape of Chinese women during the riots.
As of 2006, Tjoa has written 80 short stories, 50 pieces of children's literature
, and 38 novels.
Tjoa currently lives in Central Jakarta
.
is also described as "identical to that of indigenous writers." As a result, many readers do not realize that Tjoa is Chinese-Indonesian.
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...
n popular
Genre fiction
Genre fiction, also known as popular fiction, is a term for fictional works written with the intent of fitting into a specific literary genre in order to appeal to readers and fans already familiar with that genre....
romance
Romance (novel)
Romance is a novel co-authored by Joseph Conrad and Ford Madox Ford. It was the second of their three collaborations. Romance was eventually published by George Bell and Sons in London and by McClure, Phillips in New York, in March 1904....
and children's literature
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
writer better known by the pen name Marga T. One of Indonesia's most prolific writers, she first became well-known in 1971 for her serial Karmila that was published as a book in 1973 and later made into a film. As of 2006, she has published 38 novels.
Biography
Marga Tjoa was born Tjoa Liang Tjoe to a Catholic Chinese IndonesianChinese Indonesian
Chinese Indonesians, also called the Indonesian Chinese, are an overseas Chinese group whose ancestors emigrated from China to Indonesia, formerly a colony of the Netherlands known as the Dutch East Indies...
(peranakan
Peranakan
Peranakan Chinese and Baba-Nyonya are terms used for the descendants of late 15th and 16th-century Chinese immigrants to the Indonesian archipelago of Nusantara during the Colonial era....
) family 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...
in 1943. She started writing young and by age 21, had published her first short story, "Room 27" . It was followed by her first book in 1969, a children's story
Children's Story
"Children's Story" is a single by British-born American hip hop artist Slick Rick, from his album The Great Adventures of Slick Rick.-Reception:It's on the list of the top 100 rap songs, and is ranked #61 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop....
titled My Home is My Castle . During this time she was also educated as a physician at Trisakti University
Trisakti University
Trisakti University is a private university in Jakarta, Indonesia. Founded on 29 November 1965, the university has more than 30,000 students.It has several campuses and nine faculties:*Faculty of Law*Faculty of Medical Sciences*Faculty of Dentistry...
.
Tjoa became famous after first novel, Karmila, was published in 1971. In 1972 she followed Karmilas success with The Storm Will Surely Pass , which was serialized
Serial (literature)
In literature, a serial is a publishing format by which a single large work, most often a work of narrative fiction, is presented in contiguous installments—also known as numbers, parts, or fascicles—either issued as separate publications or appearing in sequential issues of a single periodical...
in Kompas
Kompas
Kompas is the most widely read newspaper in Indonesia. Published by Kompas-Gramedia Group Publishing since June 28, 1965, it has a reputation in Indonesia for high-quality writing and investigative journalism...
between 5 June and 2 September 1972, with a novelized version being published in 1974. Both novels were adapted
Film adaptation
Film adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a feature film. It is a type of derivative work.A common form of film adaptation is the use of a novel as the basis of a feature film, but film adaptation includes the use of non-fiction , autobiography, comic book, scripture, plays, and even...
into movies, with Badai Pasti Berlalu
Badai Pasti Berlalu (film)
Badai Pasti Berlalu is a 1977 Indonesian film based on the novel of the same name by Marga T. It was directed by Teguh Karya and starred Christine Hakim, Roy Marten and Slamet Rahardjo.-Plot:...
going on to win four Citra awards
Indonesian Film Festival
Festival Film Indonesia or known as FFI is an annual film festival organised by Indonesian Film Festival Committee...
. This early success convinced her to continue writing.
During the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Tjoa published more popular novels, including An Illusion , The Red Saga , and Doctor Sabara's Secret . She also published some collections of short stories
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
, including Love Song and Monik.
In 2004, Tjoa published A Bud of Hope to commemorate the eighth anniversary of the 1998 Jakarta Riots. It deals with the violence and rape of Chinese women during the riots.
As of 2006, Tjoa has written 80 short stories, 50 pieces of children's literature
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
, and 38 novels.
Tjoa currently lives in Central Jakarta
Central Jakarta
Central Jakarta is one of the five cities which form Jakarta, Indonesia. It had 898,883 inhabitants at the 2010 Census.Central Jakarta is the smallest in area and population of the five cities of Jakarta. It is the administrative and political center of Jakarta and Indonesia...
.
Chinese-Indonesian Identity
Tjoa has been seen as trying to distance herself from her Chinese-Indonesian background during a period of legislation regarding Chinese culture in Indonesia, as evidenced by her use of a neutral pen name and a general disregard for Chinese culture and problems in her literary works. Her dictionDiction
Diction , in its original, primary meaning, refers to the writer's or the speaker's distinctive vocabulary choices and style of expression in a poem or story...
is also described as "identical to that of indigenous writers." As a result, many readers do not realize that Tjoa is Chinese-Indonesian.
Selected works
Her works include:| Year | Title | Title in English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Rumahku adalah Istanaku | My Home is my Castle | First novel |
| 1971 | Karmila | Karmila | |
| 1974 | Badai Pasti Berlalu Badai Pasti Berlalu (novel) Badai Pasti Berlalu is an Indonesian novel written by Marga T and published in 1974. It spawned award-winning film, music album, and a song of the same name.-Plot:... |
The Storm Will Surely Pass | Originally published as a serial in Kompas in 1972 |
| 1976 | Gema Sebuah Hati | A Heart's Echo | |
| 1976 | Bukan Impian Semusim | Not a Seasonal Dream | |
| 1977 | Sepotong Hati Tua | A Sliver of an Old Heart | |
| 1979 | Lagu Cinta | Love Song | A collection of short stories |
| 1982 | Monik | Monik | A collection of short stories |
| 1982 | Sebuah Ilusi | An Illusion | |
| 1984 | Fatamorgana | Fatamorgana | |
| 1984 | Saga Merah | Red Saga | |
| 1984 | Rahasia Dokter Sabara | Doctor Sabara's Secret | |
| 1984 | Bukit Gundaling | Gundaling Hill | |
| 1986 | Ketika Lonceng Berdentang: cerita misteri | When the Bell Tolls: A Mystery | |
| 1987 | Saskia | Saskia | Part one of a trilogy |
| 1987 | Untukmu Nana | For You, Nana | |
| 1987 | Setangkai Edelweiss | A Stalk of Edelweiss Edelweiss Edelweiss , Leontopodium alpinum, is a well-known European mountain flower, belonging to the sunflower family.-Names:The common name comes from German edel, meaning "noble", and weiß "white", thus signifying "noble whiteness".The scientific name Leontopodium is a Latin adaptation of Greek... |
A sequel to Gema Sebuah Hati |
| 1987 | Sembilu Bermata Dua | The Two-Bladed Knife | |
| 1987 | Kishi | Kishi | Part two of a trilogy |
| 1987 | Batas Masa Silam: Balada Sungai Musi | The Edge of the Past: A Balad for the Musi River | |
| 1987 | Oteba | Oteba | The final book in a trilogy |
| 1987 | Ranjau-ranjau Cinta | Love's Traps | |
| 1988 | Tesa | Tesa | |
| 1988 | Di Hatimu Aku Berlabuh | In Your Heart, I Am Anchored | |
| 1988 | Sekali dalam 100 Tahun | Once in 100 Years | A collection of satires |
| 1990 | Istana di Kaki Langit | The Palace at the Sky's Feet | |
| 1991 | Namamu Terukir di Hatiku | Your Name is Carved in My Heart | |
| 1991 | Sonata Masa Lalu | A Sonnet to the Past | |
| 1992 | Berkerudung Awan Mendung | Veiled in Grey Skies | |
| 1992 | Seribu Tahun Kumenanti | I Will Wait for a Thousand Years | |
| 1992 | Rintihan Pilu Kalbuku | My Heart's Melancholic Moan | |
| 1994 | Sepagi Itu Kita Berpisah | We Separated that Early | |
| 1995 | Dikejar Bayang-Bayang | Chased by Shadows | |
| 1995 | Melodi Sebuah Rosetta | A Rosetta's Melody | |
| 1999 | Matahari Tengah Malam | The Midnight Sun | |
| 1998 | Didera Sesal dan Duka | Scourged by Regrets and Grief | |
| 1998 | Dicabik Benci dan Cinta | Torn Between Love and Hate | |
| 1999 | Amulet dari Nubia | The Amulet from Nubia | |
| 2001 | Dipalu Kecewa dan Putus Asa | Hammered by Disappointment and Despair | |
| 2003 | Dibakar Malu dan Rindu | Burned by Shame and Longing | |
| 2002–2006 | Sekuntum Nozomi | A Bud of Hope | Four works |