Ayu Utami

(West Java, Indonesia, 1968) is a leading voice among the new generation of Indonesian artists and writers emerging after the fall of Suharto. Utami was born in Bogor and grew up in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta. She studied Russian language and literature. During her college years she had already begun publishing reports and essays in various newspapers. She has been a journalist for various Indonesian magazines, including Humor, Matra, Forum Keadilan, and D&R. Shortly after Suharto banned three magazines in 1994, Ayu joined Aliansi Jurnalis Independen (Independent Journalist Alliance) in protesting the ban. She continued her journalistic work underground, which included the anonymous publication of a black book on corruption in the Suharto regime. Utami's first novel, Saman, appeared in 1998, only a few weeks before the fall of Suharto, helping to signal the changing cultural and political landscape in Indonesia. The novel caused a sensation, and controversy, among Indonesian artists and intellectuals. It was acclaimed by many reviews and was considered as a new milestone in Indonesian literature. Saman has sold over 100,000 copies and been reprinted 34 times. The sequel to Saman, Larung was published in 2001. Her new play and book protesting anti-pornography legislation, Pengadilan Susila (Susila's Trial) appeared in 2008. Ayu Utami currently works for Radio 68H, an independent news radio station that is broadcast all over the country as well as a writer for the cultural journal Kalam and in Teater Utan Kayu/Teater Salihara in Jakarta.