Words without Borders, the online magazine for international literature, announces the release of its August issue: “Myth and History: Writing from Indonesia.”
The issue covers diverse terrains, from historic battlefields to contemporary streets, the ravages of natural disaster and the damage of oppressive government. The nine writers here—including Abidah El Khalieqy, Khatulistiwa Literary Award-winner Zen Hae, Rancagé Literary Award recipient Acep Zamzam Noor, and Adikarya Ikapi winner Clara Ng—take readers from the brothel to morning prayers, exposing them to the breadth of contemporary Indonesian writing and providing a preview of Indonesia’s debut on the international stage as guest country at October’s Frankfurt Book Fair.
WWB editorial director Susan Harris said of the issue, “For many of the authors here, writing is both vehicle and subject, and their work both represents and addresses the art and act of storytelling.”
Other writers in the issue, guest edited and introduced by leading Indonesian translator John McGlynn, include Hasif Amini, Taukik Ikram Jamil, Mona Sylviana, Linda Christanty, and M. Iksaka Banu.
Our special feature, “At the Borders of Homeland and Exile,” presents our first translations from the vibrant literature of Tibet.
Words without Borders
Founded in 2003, Words without Borders is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion of cultural understanding through the translation, publication, and promotion of international literature. To date WWB has translated over 2,000 pieces of prose and poetry representing 105 languages by writers from 126 countries. WWB has been featured in the New York Times, the New York Times Book Review, the Boston Globe, the Guardian (UK), Vanity Fair, and the Chronicle of Higher Education, as well as in various foreign-language papers and numerous literary blogs. Our anthologies of international literature include Literature from the Axis of Evil, Tablet and Pen: Literary Landscapes from the Modern Middle East, and The Ecco Anthology of International Poetry. Our most recent e-anthology is Words without Borders: The Best of the First Ten Years.
