Putu Wijaya
Encyclopedia
I Gusti Ngurah Putu Wijaya (born April 11, 1944), better known simply as Putu Wijaya, was born in Tabanan, Bali
. He is an Indonesia
n author
, considered by many to be one of Indonesia's most prominent literary figures.
His output is impressive; his published works include more than thirty novels, forty dramas, a hundred short stories, and thousands of essays, articles, screenplays and television dramas, and he has been the recipient of a number of literary prizes.
Since 1971 he has led the Teater Mandiri, widely regarded as Indonesia's foremost theatre collective, where his philosophy of creating a tontonan (spectacle) helps to establish a dialogue between author and audience. The first play staged by Teater Mandiri was Aduh, which was performed at the Taman Ismail Marzuki performing arts center in 1973. Written by Putu in 1972, the play tells the story of how a group of people react to the intrusion of a stranger into their lives. The stranger is dying but instead of helping him they keep questioning him and arguing among themselves until, finally, he dies. In 2011, as part of its 40th anniversary celebration, Aduh was included in a trilogy staged by the Teater Mandiri. Presented under the title Trik (Trick), the three plays are all well-known works by Putu Wijaya: Apakah kita sudah merdeka? (Are we free yet?), Aduh and Setan (Devil). In 2010, his works took center stage when 28 of his monologues and four of his drama pieces were presented at the second Indonesian Theater Forum in Solo
(Surakarta
), Central Java
.
His short stories often appear in the columns of the daily newspapers Kompas
and Sinar Harapan, and he has been called "The Father of Short Stories". His novels are also often published in the magazines Kartini, Femina
and Horison. As a script writer, he has twice won the Citra Award at the Indonesian Film Festival
, for the movies Perawan Desa (1980) and Kembang Kertas (1985). He has also received recognition outside Indonesia
as well. This has included fellowships to study kabuki
in Japan
, a residency at the University of Iowa
's International Writing Program
, and a Fullbright Scholarship to teach Indonesian theatre at universities in the United States
. His writing has been translated into Japanese
, Arabic and Thai
as well as English
.
Putu Wijaya continues to be a prominent figure in the promotion of Indonesian literature and culture. In 2011 he participated in the launch of the Lontar Foundation
's Modern Library of Indonesia, a series of Indonesian novels translated into English. Putu Wijaya's novel Telegram was one of the first ten novels to be included in the series, and marks the first time this novel has been translated into English.
and William Shakespeare
. His father, I Gusti Ngurah Raka, was hoping for Putu to become a doctor, but Putu was weak in the natural science
s. He liked history
, language
and geography
. As a child, he used to sneak out to see traditional dance dramas or wayang
.
But it wasn't until high school, when he participated in a performance of Anton Chekhov’s The Bear (play)
, that his love for theater began.
Not long after he finished junior high school his first published work appeared was published in Suluh Indonesia, and several years later his work to appear in the Fajar column of the Mimbar Indonesia magazine. Within five years his essays and stories were being published in Minggu Pagi and Majalah Djaya.
After graduating from High School, Putu Wijaya continued his tertiary education in Yogyakarta, studying at Indonesian Fine Arts Academy, the Drama and Film Arts Academy, before graduating with a law degree from Gadjah Mada University
. While in Yogyakarta, he became involved in theater and performed in several theater groups including Bengkel Teater and Sanggar Bambu. In 1969, his play Lautan Bernyanyi (Chanting Ocean) was awarded third place in a drama-writing contest organized by the Indonesian National Theater Development Agency.
From Yogyakarta, Putu moved to Jakarta where he launched his literary career while working as a journalist for Tempo
and Zaman
. He retained his interest in theater and, soon after arriving in Jakarta, joined Teater Kecil and Teater Populer.
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
. He is an 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...
n author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, considered by many to be one of Indonesia's most prominent literary figures.
His output is impressive; his published works include more than thirty novels, forty dramas, a hundred short stories, and thousands of essays, articles, screenplays and television dramas, and he has been the recipient of a number of literary prizes.
Since 1971 he has led the Teater Mandiri, widely regarded as Indonesia's foremost theatre collective, where his philosophy of creating a tontonan (spectacle) helps to establish a dialogue between author and audience. The first play staged by Teater Mandiri was Aduh, which was performed at the Taman Ismail Marzuki performing arts center in 1973. Written by Putu in 1972, the play tells the story of how a group of people react to the intrusion of a stranger into their lives. The stranger is dying but instead of helping him they keep questioning him and arguing among themselves until, finally, he dies. In 2011, as part of its 40th anniversary celebration, Aduh was included in a trilogy staged by the Teater Mandiri. Presented under the title Trik (Trick), the three plays are all well-known works by Putu Wijaya: Apakah kita sudah merdeka? (Are we free yet?), Aduh and Setan (Devil). In 2010, his works took center stage when 28 of his monologues and four of his drama pieces were presented at the second Indonesian Theater Forum in Solo
Solo
-Games:* Dance Dance Revolution Solo, a sub-series of Dance Dance Revolution by Konami-Literature:* Solo , a comic book series* Solo , a Swedish magazine* Solo , a comic book character...
(Surakarta
Surakarta
Surakarta, also called Solo or Sala, is a city in Central Java, Indonesia of more than 520,061 people with a population density of 11,811.5 people/km2. The 44 km2 city adjoins Karanganyar Regency and Boyolali Regency to the north, Karanganyar Regency and Sukoharjo Regency to the east and...
), Central Java
Central Java
Central Java is a province of Indonesia. The administrative capital is Semarang. It is one of six provinces on the island of Java.This province is the province of high Human Development in Indonesia and its Points Development Index countries is equivalent to Lebanon. The province of Central Java...
.
His short stories often appear in the columns of the daily newspapers 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...
and Sinar Harapan, and he has been called "The Father of Short Stories". His novels are also often published in the magazines Kartini, Femina
Femina
Femina is a Latin noun meaning 'woman'.It is the title of five magazines:*Femina , a fortnightly women's magazine owned by the Times Group and published in India since July 1959*Femina , the first women's magazine in Indonesia...
and Horison. As a script writer, he has twice won the Citra Award at the Indonesian Film Festival
Indonesian Film Festival
Festival Film Indonesia or known as FFI is an annual film festival organised by Indonesian Film Festival Committee...
, for the movies Perawan Desa (1980) and Kembang Kertas (1985). He has also received recognition outside 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...
as well. This has included fellowships to study kabuki
Kabuki
is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, a residency at the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
's International Writing Program
International Writing Program
The International Writing Program is a writing residency for international artists in Iowa City, Iowa. Since its inception in 1967, the IWP has hosted over 1,100 emerging and established poets, novelists, dramatists, essayists, and journalists from more than 120 countries...
, and a Fullbright Scholarship to teach Indonesian theatre at universities in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. His writing has been translated into Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
, Arabic and Thai
Thai language
Thai , also known as Central Thai and Siamese, is the national and official language of Thailand and the native language of the Thai people, Thailand's dominant ethnic group. Thai is a member of the Tai group of the Tai–Kadai language family. Historical linguists have been unable to definitively...
as well as English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
Putu Wijaya continues to be a prominent figure in the promotion of Indonesian literature and culture. In 2011 he participated in the launch of the Lontar Foundation
Lontar Foundation
The Lontar Foundation, a not-for-profit organization based in Jakarta, Indonesia, was founded in 1987 by four Indonesian writers: Goenawan Mohamad, Sapardi Djoko Damono, Umar Kayam, and Subagio Sastrowardoyo and the American translator, John H...
's Modern Library of Indonesia, a series of Indonesian novels translated into English. Putu Wijaya's novel Telegram was one of the first ten novels to be included in the series, and marks the first time this novel has been translated into English.
Early life
Putu Wijaya is the youngest of eight siblings (three of them from a different father). He lived in a large housing complex with around 200 people who were all members of the same extended family, and were accustomed to reading. His interest in literature came not from his immediate family but his extended family, and as a primary school student, he read classics like Anton ChekhovAnton Chekhov
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was a Russian physician, dramatist and author who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short stories in history. His career as a dramatist produced four classics and his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics...
and William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
. His father, I Gusti Ngurah Raka, was hoping for Putu to become a doctor, but Putu was weak in the natural science
Natural science
The natural sciences are branches of science that seek to elucidate the rules that govern the natural world by using empirical and scientific methods...
s. He liked history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
and geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
. As a child, he used to sneak out to see traditional dance dramas or wayang
Wayang
Wayang is a Javanese word for theatre . When the term is used to refer to kinds of puppet theatre, sometimes the puppet itself is referred to as wayang...
.
But it wasn't until high school, when he participated in a performance of Anton Chekhov’s The Bear (play)
The Bear (play)
The Bear , or The Boor, is a one act comedic play written by Russian author Anton Chekhov. The play was originally dedicated to Nikolai Nikolaevich Solovtsov, Chekhov's boyhood friend and director/actor who first played the character Smirnov....
, that his love for theater began.
Not long after he finished junior high school his first published work appeared was published in Suluh Indonesia, and several years later his work to appear in the Fajar column of the Mimbar Indonesia magazine. Within five years his essays and stories were being published in Minggu Pagi and Majalah Djaya.
After graduating from High School, Putu Wijaya continued his tertiary education in Yogyakarta, studying at Indonesian Fine Arts Academy, the Drama and Film Arts Academy, before graduating with a law degree from Gadjah Mada University
Gadjah Mada University
The Gadjah Mada University is the largest and the oldest national university in Indonesia . founded on December 19, 1949; although the first lecture was given on 13 March 1946. The name was taken from the name of Majapahit's Prime Minister, Gajah Mada.UGM is located in Yogyakarta, Daerah Istimewa...
. While in Yogyakarta, he became involved in theater and performed in several theater groups including Bengkel Teater and Sanggar Bambu. In 1969, his play Lautan Bernyanyi (Chanting Ocean) was awarded third place in a drama-writing contest organized by the Indonesian National Theater Development Agency.
From Yogyakarta, Putu moved to Jakarta where he launched his literary career while working as a journalist for Tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
and Zaman
Zaman
Zaman may refer to:*Zaman A large ornamental tropical American tree with bipinnate leaves and globose clusters of flowers with crimson stamens and sweet-pulp seed pods eaten by cattle ....
. He retained his interest in theater and, soon after arriving in Jakarta, joined Teater Kecil and Teater Populer.
Short Stories
- Gres, Jakarta: Balai Pustaka, 1982
- Blok, Jakarta: Pustaka Firdaus, 1994
- Darah, Jakarta: Balai Pustaka, 1995
- Zig Zag, Jakarta: Pustaka Firdaus, 1996
- Tidak, Jakarta: Pabelan Jayakarta, 1999
Novels
- Bila Malam Bertambah Malam, Jakarta: Pustaka Jaya, 1971
- Telegram, Jakarta: Pustaka Jaya, 1973
- MS, Jakarta, 1975
- Ratu, Jakarta, 1977
- Sah, Jakarta, 1977
- Stasiun, Jakarta, Pustaka Jaya, 1977
- Tak Cukup Sedih, Jakarta, 1977
- Keok, Jakarta: Pustaka Jaya, 1978
- Sobat, Jakarta: Sinar Harapan, 1981
- Lho, Jakarta: Balai Pustaka, 1982
- Nyali, Jakarta: Balai Pustaka, 1983
- Dor, Jakarta: Balai Pustaka, 1986
- Pol, Jakarta: Gramedia, 1987
- Teror, Jakarta: Pustaka Jaya, 1991
- Kroco, Jakarta: Pustaka Firdaus, 1995
- Byar Pet, Jakarta: Pustaka Firdaus, 1995
- Aus, Jakarta: Grasindo, 1996
- Tetralogi Dangdut: [Nora]http://indonesasa.wordpress.com/2008/06/07/nora-putu-wijaya/ (1st ed), [Mala]http://dianasasa.blogspot.com/2008/07/mala-tetralogi-dangdut-putu-wijaya.html (2nd ed) 2008