A personal essay about how reading and writing in many languages have shaped the person and writer I am today.
Tag: censorship
From Now on Everything will be Different (excerpt)
How was it possible that these people, after three decades of silence and obedience and fear, now found the courage to protest? These people were so used to submitting to fate. How had they decided that they could break the course of History? The protests impressed him profoundly as the first confirmation that one could indeed bring about change. He would never forget how, along with the sound of thousands of students marching, he had heard God lovingly whisper in his ear, ‘You too can change your life’s course.’
Di Antara Bahasa-bahasa dan Dunia-dunia
Aku ingin karyaku turut memajukan kisah inovasi lintas benua dan lintas zaman, aku ingin menciptakan diriku dari apa pun yang kuyakini dapat mendekatkanku ke sebaik-baik Eliza Vitri Handayani.
Merebut Ruang
Kita berhutang pada diri kita sendiri untuk menjaga keberagaman kita—untuk mewujudkan sebuah bangsa di mana semua orang dapat, dengan aman dan leluasa, menjadi diri mereka masing-masing.
Claiming Space
To censor is to say certain voices are not okay. When you don’t see people like yourself represented, you may feel isolated. That’s why intolerant groups must not be allowed to define what it means to be Indonesian. We owe it to ourselves to take care of our diversity—to realize a country where everyone can be true to themselves.
After ’98: Censorship, Compromises, and Resistance
Police interference with the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival’s program was the latest sign of paranoia about 1965-related events. Two sessions unrelated to 1965 were also cancelled at UWRF: a panel called ‘For Bali’ about large-scale water and mangrove reclamation plans, big businesses, and the environmental movement, Bali Tolak Reklamasi (Bali Says No to Reclamation); and the launch of the novel From Now On Everything Will Be Different.
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.
From Now On Everything Will Be Different
As democratic reforms swept Indonesia in the late nineties, the nation’s young generation asked themselves: what does it mean to be free? This novel is a compelling study of freedom and love, community and conformity, told with humour, sensuality and a subtly sharp political intelligence.
Mulai Saat Ini Segalanya Akan Berubah
Seraya Indonesia menjelang demokrasi pada akhir ’90-an, generasi muda bertanya: apa makna kebebasan? Seorang laki-laki dan seorang perempuan mendambakan kebebasan untuk jadi diri sendiri, meskipun itu berarti hidup di luar norma-norma masyarakat dan budaya.
Eliza Vitri Handayani 