Saman

Ayu Utami is regarded as one of Indonesia’s most groundbreaking writers, particularly for the way she addresses sex and religion in her work. Her writing explores issues of sexuality from a woman’s perspective.Saman (1998), her first novel, won the Jakarta Arts Council’s Best Novel Competition. Among her other major works are Bilangan Fu (2008), which received the 2008 Khatulistiwa Literary Award, and, most recently, Anatomi Rasa (2019). In recognition of her contribution to literature, Ayu Utami received the Prince Claus Award in 2000 from the Netherlands-based Prince Claus Fund, which honours individuals and organisations that have made outstanding contributions to culture.Ayu Utami is a co-founder of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) and helped establish the Utan Kayu Community, a centre for the arts, ideas and freedom of information. She currently serves as a literary curator and director of the Literature and Ideas Festival (LIFEs) at the Salihara Community, and as programme director of Utan Kayu Theatre.

‘Saman succeeds in capturing the chaos of its era and telling its story fluently, even effortlessly. It is an era bustling with events and with the traffic of cultural information ... there is a magnetic force that makes the reader unwilling to put it down.’ J.B. Kristanto, Kompas‘Sex, love, politics and religion – and the intricate emotions that bind the characters together – are portrayed with complete freedom, unburdened by convention. Like Ursula Brangwen, D.H. Lawrence’s heroine dancing naked on a hill, the novel embraces liberation without self-consciousness. Yet its questioning of God, sexuality and human relationships is underpinned by meticulous research and careful construction. More remarkably still, despite its wealth of everyday detail and its clash of ideas, Saman never becomes merely an intellectual exercise; it succeeds in moving the reader emotionally.’ Leila S. Chudori, D&R‘The author’s integrity is of the highest order … reading this made me feel like I was a political prisoner again.’ Pramoedya Ananta Toer, author‘Every detail of the story is built upon rigorous research, recalling the great novels of Pramoedya Ananta Toer. The novel’s freedom of language reflects its understanding that morality is inherently ambiguous. Adultery, the sacred pastoral calling and clandestine love affairs are never reduced to simplistic black-and-white moral judgements. That is one of Saman’s greatest strengths: it refuses to preach dogma.’ Arif Zulkifli, Media Indonesia‘Ayu’s confident storytelling technique adequately carries the weight of a broad thematic scope, highlighting the full complexity of previously shunned issues such as female sexuality and the struggle between personal faith and political action … Saman is simply impossible to put down.’ Marshall Clark, Inside Indonesia‘Rejuvenates Indonesian literature with explorations of taboo subjects.’ South China Morning Post