Laksmi Pamuntjak (22 December 1971) is an Indonesian poet, essayist, and award-winning novelist and food writer.

Pamuntjak has written several novels as well as articles for local and international publications, including opinion articles for the Guardian.

Contents

• 1 Life
• 2 Bibliography
  • 2.1 Novels
  • 2.2 Poetry
  • 2.3 Short stories
  • 2.4 Philosophical essay/treatise
  • 2.5 Food writing
  • 2.6 Translations
• 3 References
• 4 External links

Life

Born in Jakarta, Pamuntjak is of Minangkabau descent from Sungai Puar, West Sumatra. Her grand father Kasoema Sutan Pamuntjak was an editor of Balai Pustaka and founder of CV Djambatan, a publishing company.

Pamuntjak, who writes in Indonesian and English, is the author of two collections of poetry; a collection of poetry and prose; a treatise on the relationship between man and violence based on the Iliad; a collection of short stories based on paintings; four editions of the award-winning The Jakarta Good Food Guide; two translations of the works of Goenawan Mohamad, and two best-selling novels.

Pamuntjak's first novel Amba, a national bestseller, was the winner of the Literaturpreis 2016. The novel is a modern take on The Mahabharata, set against the backdrop of the Indonesian m* killings of 1965 and the Buru penal colony. The novel has been translated into English, German and Dutch. The US edition, The Question of Red, was published in July 2016.

The English translation of Pamuntjak's second novel, Aruna dan Lidahnya, was due for publication in the US in early 2017. A movie adaptation based on the book was announced, to star Dian Sastrowardoyo.

In August 2015, the German translation of Amba, Alle Farben Rot, was Number 1 on the Weltempfaenger list for the best international work of fiction translated into German. It has also appeared on the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung's list of 8 Most Important Novels of the Frankfurt Book Fair 2015, De Bild's Top 10 Books of the Frankfurt Book Fair 2015, and the ORF Kultur (Austria)'s Top 10 List for November 2015.

In 2012, Pamuntjak, co-founder of the bilingual Aksara Bookstore, was selected as the Indonesian representative at the Poetry Parn*us/Cultural Olympics, Her prose and poetry was mentioned in the preface to Not a Muse: A World Poetry Anthology (2008).

Between 2009 and 2011, Pamuntjak wasa jury member of the Prince Claus Awards. She has one daughter, Nadia Larasati, aged 24.

In 2016, Pamuntjak received the LiBeraturpreis for her novel Amba.

Bibliography

Novels

• Aruna dan Lidahnya (2014)
• Amba (2012)

Poetry

• The Anagram (2007)
• Ellipsis: Poems and Prose Poems (2005)
• There Are Tears In Things: Collected Poetry and Prose (2001-2016) by Laksmi Pamuntjak (2016)

Short stories

• The Diary of R.S.: Musings on Art (2006)
• There Are Tears In Things: Collected Poetry and Prose (2001-2016) by Laksmi Pamuntjak (2016)

Philosophical essay/treatise

• Perang, Langit dan Dua Perempuan (2006)

Food writing

• The Jakarta Good Food Guide 2009-2010 (Supplement to the Jakarta Good Food Guide 2008-2009)
• The Jakarta Good Food Guide 2008-2009
• The Jakarta Good Food Guide 2002-2003
• The Jakarta Good Food Guide 2001

Translations

• On God and Other Unfinished Things (2007)
• Goenawan Mohamad: Selected Poems (2004)

References

External links

Pamuntjak winning Germany's LiBeraturpreis 2016

• http://jakartaglobe.id/opinion/commentary-laksmi-pamuntjak-wins-liberaturpreis-2016-frankfurt-book-fair/
• http://ummid.com/news/2016/June/05.06.2016/indonesian-author-wins-germany-literary-award.html
• http://www.buchmesse.de/en/Focus_on/more_topics/international_dialog/

Pamuntjak's opinion articles in the Guardian

• https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/feb/25/indonesians-should-be-too-familiar-with-death-to-support-executions
• https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/may/05/jokowi-we-voted-for-a-humble-man-now-youve-taught-a-new-generation-about-killing
• https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jun/22/australia-and-indonesias-infantile-posturing-over-refugees-is-sad-and-dangerous
• https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2015/oct/27/censorship-is-returning-to-indonesia-in-the-name-of-the-1965-purges
• https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/sep/30/it-is-50-years-since-the-indonesian-genocide-of-1965-but-we-cannot-look-away

Laksmi Pamuntjak's article in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

• http://laksmipamuntjak.com/press/frankfurter-allgemeine-zeitung-1

Laksmi Pamuntjak's novel Amba/Alle Farben Rot No. 1 on Germany's Weltempfaenger List 2015 for Best Fiction

• http://www.buchjournal.de/1024812/
• http://www.litprom.de/projekte/weltempfaenger.html
• http://laksmipamuntjak.com/public/uploads/2015/09/image.jpeg

Laksmi Pamuntjak's novel Amba/Alle Farben Rot in German and Austrian Top 10 Best Books Lists 2015

• http://laksmipamuntjak.com/press/faz-1
• http://m.bild.de/lifestyle/2015/frankfurt-buchmesse/die-top-ten-42988376.bildMobile.html
• http://tv.orf.at/groups/kultur/pool/besten10_2015_11

General articles

• http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/12/09/historical-indonesian-novel-praised-germany.html
• http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/10/26/laksmi-pamuntjak-touring-europe.html
• http://m.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/12/28/new-dawn-for-indonesian-literature.html
• http://www.nzz.ch/feuilleton/buecher/die-schatten-der-toten-beschwoeren-1.18617451
• http://www.zeit.de/2015/41/indonesien-literatur-buchmesse
• http://laksmipamuntjak.com/public/uploads/2015/10/MS-Süddeutsche-Ztg.jpg
• http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/indonesia-has-found-success-in-moderation-a-1047018.html
• http://laksmipamuntjak.com/public/uploads/2015/10/Pamuntjak_AlleFarbenRot_FAZ_.jpg
• http://m.welt.de/kultur/literarischewelt/article147399787/Was-bringt-Indonesien-eigentlich-literarisch-mit.html
• http://laksmipamuntjak.com/public/uploads/2015/10/12087886_10206754019061361_4160652604794238470_o.jpg
• http://www.groene.nl/artikel/wraak-is-geen-optie
• http://www.volkskrant.nl/buitenland/angstcultuur-is-terug-in-indonesie~a4170799/
• http://www.trouw.nl/tr/nl/5009/Archief/article/detail/4162582/2015/10/14/Oog-voor-het-andere-Indonesie.dhtml
• http://www.derbund.ch/kultur/buecher/Anschreiben-gegen-das-Schweigen/story/17109131
• http://laksmipamuntjak.com/public/uploads/2015/06/image-6.png
• https://blogs.wsj.com/indonesiarealtime/2014/11/18/a-tale-of-traveling-tastebuds-in-laksmi-pamuntjaks-latest-novel/
• http://www.cnnindonesia.com/hiburan/20141117102106-234-11920/nama-curian-di-novel-anyar-laksmi-pamuntjak/
• http://m.metrotvnews.com/read/2015/03/22/374803/topik-komunisme-indonesia-digandrungi-penerbit-jerman
• http://world.time.com/2013/02/07/movie-books-push-indonesia-to-confront-its-bloody-past/
• https://web.archive.org/web/20090615061300/http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2005/12/09/laksmi-pamuntjak039s-039ellipsis039-gets-outstanding-uk-review.html