French Embassy – UIN Jakarta will Organize Seminar

Jakarta, UIN NEWS Online— The French Embassy in collaboration with UIN Jakarta will organize a seminar themed Some Natural Disasters Through Indonesian Literature. The seminar will be hold on Wednesday, (08/29/2018), at The French Embassy, Jalan MH Thamrin No 20 Jakarta.

Explained on the press release received by UIN NEWS Online on Tuesday (08/27/2018) that the seminar is organized to explain and answering questions regarding natural occurrence such as the eruption of mount Krakatoa (1883), Aceh Tsunami (2004) were pictured in Indonesian literature, also what kind of informations gained from the literatures.

Etienne Naveau, a doctoral in Indonesian language, literature and civilization tried to deliver the answer in relation to the questions through analysis on some of the novels written by two productive authors: Kwee Tek Hoay and Taufiq Ismail.

From the same resource also explained that Kwee Tek Hoay, had interest on theosophy. He wrote “A Play on Krakatoa” on 1929. This novel was inspired from “The Last Day of Pompeii” written by Edward Bulwer-Lytton which contained many scientific documentations on the natural occurrence.

In the novel, which is a sentimental drama about a Baduy shaman descendant of Padjajaran Hindu-King who worship Vishnu the guardian God, the book describes how culture and religion mutated, and how natural disasters creates trauma on Nusantara citizen.

Meanwhile, Taufiq Ismail are more into Islamic Theodicy approach which is utilizing the natural occurrences in his works to reflect the meaning of human sufferings.

For info, Etienne Naveau is a doctor in Indonesian language, literature and civilization whom his works were based on study of Indonesian biography textbooks. Since 2003, he works as professor of Indonesian language and literature at INALCO (National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilizations), and also a member of Cerlom (Center for Literature Research and Research and World Oral Traditions).

Then, on November 2017, he received his HDR degree through a research entitled “Identity and the Speeches of Indonesian Founder (literature, philosophy, religion)”. At Inalco, Etienne Naveau teaches translation and literature class, also analysis on Indonesia religion and politic discourses. He also translated poetry anthology Paris Pasar Malam (2015), bilingual poetry anthology Debu di Atas Debu written by Taufiq Ismail (Horison press,2015), bilingual poetry book Di Luar Kata written by Acep Zamzam Noor (Presses de la Sorbonnes nouvelle, 2016), and two novels work of Eka Kurniawa entitled Manusia Harimau (Folio press, 2017), and Cantik Itu Luka (Sabine Wespieser, 2017). (usa)