What does Jakarta need to do in order to be recognised as a cultural city? In this opinion series, NOW! Jakarta hears from the leaders of the city’s artistic institutions to gain insight into fosteringand developing specific areas of culture. Laura Prinsloo of Pulau Imagi talks to us about literature.
Did you know that Jakarta is officially a UNESCO-designated ‘City of Literature’? The city gained this title in 2021, an initiative spearheaded by Laura Prinsloo, Chair of the literature-focused NGO, 17,000 Islands of Imagination Foundation (Yayasan 17000 Pulau Imaji).
Despite the lack of readers in Indonesia, Jakarta remains at the heart of the country’s book industry, with a history of publishing dating back to the Dutch Colonial era —founded in 1917, Kantoor voor de Volkslecturr, later became Balai Pustaka, Indonesia’s state-owned publisher.
There are currently 53 cities of literature across 34 countries, including destinations like Prague, Seattle, Bucheon-si and Okayama. “I was asked by Governor Anies Baswedan to find ways to make Jakarta friendlier for readers,” explains Laura, who was previously Chair of the National Book Committee, succeeding Goenawan Mohamad, founder and editor of Tempo Magazine. “So, I studied other Southeast Asian cities, analysing bookstores per capita, number of publishers, number of new titles published a year.” There are many examples to learn from, from Malaysia’s book vouchers for students or the vibrant book streets of Vietnam, like the famous Ho Chi Minh City Book Street.
Eventually, Laura pushed for securing a ‘City of Literature’ title, knowing that this designation would have strings attached. The Jakarta Government is expected to deliver programs and introduce new infrastructure centred on reading and publishing. This is what prompted the development of the Martha Tiahahu Literacy Park, found beneath the ‘Blok M – Sisingamangaraja’ MRT station, that houses its own mini public library.
“Literature is crucial to the cultural development of a society, fostering creativity, critical thinking and reflection,” says Laura, who cites Korea as a great example of this: two decades ago the country was not known for their cultural creativity, but now they have eight separate book committees, with a culture celebrated around the world.
It’s not simply about personal or societal development: “Literature can be used to revitalise areas,” explains Laura. Supporting independent bookstores, creating reading destinations, keeping Jakarta’s many libraries up to date with the latest releases are some approaches that simultaneously encourage reading and engagement in public spaces.
But this is all in vain if Indonesia is not producing quality publications, Laura explains. “Both upstream and downstream of the literature industry need reinforcing.
Publishers and authors need help too, we can subsidise paper like India and the Philippines does, or remove tax on books to drive sales,” says Laura, who managed her family’s publishing company for many years.
As for authors, as Chair of the National Book Committee, Laura led residency programs that gave Indonesian writers the space and resources required to make a book worth reading. Then there’s the follow up of marketing books at international book fairs, getting them translated and published abroad.
Laura believes both the national and provincial governments are crucial in developing Jakarta as a ‘City of Literature’, mentioning how indispensable they have been to funding events like Jakarta International Literature Fest, Jakarta Content Week, Jakarta Art Book Fair, especially Dewan Kesenian Jakarta, the Jakarta Arts Council.
Her final comments were: “Jakarta’s cultural institutions have the deepest roots and we can build on these to make a city rich in culture. The government is absolutely necessary in this process, and because of their mandatory role, there is simply no space for politics in the development of the arts.”
]Read more in the series: Why Jakarta Needs….
Art Communities, with Ayu Utami | Cultural Collaboration, with Bambang Prihadi | Contemporary Art, with Venus Lau | Music, with Nathania Karina | Literature, with Laura Prinsloo
