Jakarta. Jakarta's Old
Town, or Kota Tua, is set to host the 2017 Asean
Literary Festival
on August 3-6. The festival will be attended by writers, scholars and artists
from over 20 countries.
This year is the fourth anniversary of the
festival and coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Association of South
East Asian Nation, or Asean.
One of the founders and the program
director of the festival, Okky Madasari, said ALF will carry the theme of
"Beyond Imagination" this year, with a goal to make culture and
literature a central part of life in Asean member countries.
"We are one big community," Okky
said on Sunday (11/06), adding that the festival also focuses on introducing
the achievements of Asean writers to global audience.
"This is an important role for ALF.
Only literature and culture can create a true bond between us. Relying only on
economic and political partnerships will leave 'Asean community' as a mere
slogan, an empty rhetoric," she said.
This year, the ALF is fully supported by
the Indonesian Education and Culture Ministry, Tourism Ministry and Foreign
Ministry.
As it does every year, ALF has a series of
warm-up events in store, among them "Sastra Masuk Kampung"
(Literature Goes to Kampung), a residency program to introduce literature to
local communities. This year they will also have a national jamboree of
literature.
Discussions — arguably the highlight of
the festival — will be centered on the topics of freedom of expression amid
increasing radicalism and the constant threat of terrorism, and the central
role social media plays in everyday life.
The festival will also feature art
performances, culinary workshops and a book fair.
The Tourism Ministry’s
marketing development deputy, Esthy Reko Astuti, praised the festival, saying
it would be an interesting event for Kota Tua and a marquee event for
Indonesia's literary community.
"ALF has shown literature adds many
different colors to people's perception of Indonesia," Esthy said last
Friday.
"Literature encourages people to
exchange ideas and thoughts," she added.
Tourism Minister Arief Yahya had announced
Kota Tua as one of ten priority tourist destinations in Indonesia along with
Lake Toba in North Sumatra, Tanjung Kelayang in Belitung, Tanjung Lesung in
Banten, Borobudur Temple in Central Java, the Bromo Tengger Semeru National
Park in East Java, Mandalika in Lombok, Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara,
Wakatobi in Southeast Sulawesi and Morotai in North Maluku.
