Ahmad Tohari
| Ahmad Tohari | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ahmad Tohari June 13, 1948 Tinggarjaya, Jatilawang, Banyumas |
| Language | Indonesian |
| Nationality | Indonesian |
| Genres | Fiction |
| Notable work(s) | Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk |
Ahmad Tohari is an Indonesian author born in the village of Tinggarjaya, Jatilawang, Banyumas on the June 13, 1948. He is the fourth of twelve children. [1] Although Tohari's parents were both from farming backgrounds, his father had received an education and, while employed as director of the regional office for the Ministry of Religious Affairs, was responsible for the establishment of the pesantren in Tinggarjaya.[1] Tohari's father has been described as a "progressive intellectual", and under his guidance Tohari developed a deep understanding of Indonesian politics.[1] Tohari's education in the pesantren developed by his parents left him with deep religious convictions, although he has been criticized for holding views that are considered by some to be out of line with the status quo.[1] His formal education was only until high school in Purwokerto. He explored several faculties of economics, social and political studies and medicine, but did not graduate from any of them. Tohari didn't initially plan to become a novelist, preferring instead to study medicine at the school of medicine of the Jakarta Islamic Hospital Foundation, but was forced to leave for economic reasons.[2]
Tohari started writing short stories, poems and essays in the early 1970s while working part-time for the Bank BNI 46 in Jakarta.[2] However, recognition came only in 1975 when he was named favorite short story writer in a Dutch Radio Hilversum contest.[2] Further success came in 1978 when his novel, Di Kaki Bukit Cibalak (On the Foothill of Cibalak), won a novel writing contest organized by the Jakarta Arts Council.[2] In 1980, he published his novel, Kubah (Dome).[2] This was followed in 1981 with publication of his most famous work, Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk, in series in Kompas daily.[2] However, after working as an editor for several publications in Jakarta during the 1970s and 1980s, Tohari decided to return to his village because he felt he did not belong in the city.[3] In interviews, Tohari has explained how his ideas for books, including Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk, have often been inspired by things around his home village.[3] Tohari still lives in the Banyumas area and his experience of growing up in a small village continues to color his literary works. Tohari is married with five children.
He has published a number of works, including eleven novels, three anthologies of political and religious essays, two collection of short stories, and numerous individual short stories and essays. The following three novels made out a trilogy (later published as one book, Ronngeng Dukuh Paruk), describing the dynamics of a ronggeng - a dancer/prostitute in an isolated village in Central Java: Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk [A Dancing Girl of Paruk Village], Lintang Kemukus Dini Hari [A Shooting Star at Dawn], and Jantera Bianglala [The Rainbow's Arc]. He is one of only a few Indonesian writers who have written stories set against the background of the 1965 Communist uprising and resultant mass killings.
His books have been published in Japanese, Chinese, Dutch and German. An English edition of Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk was published in 2003 by the Lontar Foundation in Jakarta.
In 2011, the second film version of Tohari's novel Sang Penari (The Dancer), produced by Shanty Harman and directed by Ifa Isfansyah, was screened in Jakarta.[3] Tohari has voiced his approval of this latest screen version of his work, having previously expressed his disappointment in the 1983 version, Darah dan Mahkota Ronggeng (Blood and Crown of the Dancing Girl), made by filmmaker Yazman Yazid.[3]
He has received several national and international awards for his work, including the Southeast Asian Writers Award and a Fellowship through the International Writers Program in Iowa City. He has often written for the national newspaper Suara Merdeka, and the famous weekly Tempo. He was staff editor for the Jakarta newspaper, Merdeka from 1979 until 1981, and General Editor for Amanah, a political and religious magazine, from 1986 to 1993.
In 2009, Tohari set up a magazine called Ancas (Vision) in his home town. Initially run by just 10 people, the aim of the magazine is to preserve and promote the local Banyumasan language.[3] The venture is proving to be a successful one, with circulation growing from 2,000 to 3,500 in just two years.[3] With his family, he runs an Islamic school (pesantren), and is a well-known export of Javanese folk arts, and a consultant for the regional office of the Indonesian Ministry of Culture and Education. In addition, Tohari has given his support to young writers in his recent endorsement of three new short story compilations, and in the encouragement he has given to a group of writers planning to set up an independent publishing house.[3] Tohari continues to write, and has stated his desire to write one more novel to match Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Tohari, Ahmad (2003). The dancer : a trilogy of novels. Jakarta: Lontar Foundation. ISBN 9798083490.
- ^ a b c d e f Agus Maryono (21 June 2009). "Ahmad Tohari: "If only our leaders read literary works"". The Jakarta Post. http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/06/21/ahmad-tohari-quotif-only-our-leaders-read-literary-worksquot.html. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Ika Krismantari (3 November 2011). "Ahmad Tohari: The return of the people’s writer". The Jakarta Post. http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/11/03/ahmad-tohari-the-return-people-s-writer.html. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
[edit] External links
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