The East Java Language Center (Balai Bahasa Provinsi Jawa Timur) held the 2026 Sutasoma Awards on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at the M. Tabrani Building, East Java Language Center. Now in its 18th year, the Sutasoma Awards serve as a form of recognition for language and literature practitioners, communities, teachers, and other individuals and groups dedicated to the development, preservation, and advancement of language and literature.

This year’s event featured a panel discussion titled “Building a Literary Ecosystem in East Java,” followed by an awards ceremony recognizing achievements in seven categories: Literary Criticism, Literary Figures, Regional Language and Literature Teachers, Indonesian Language and Literature, Literary Communities, Regional Literary Works, and Indonesian Literary Works.

Among this year’s recipients was Romzul Falah, a master’s student in Literary Studies at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). He received the 2026 Sutasoma Award in the Indonesian Literary Works category for his poetry collection Balai Desa dan Hantu-Hantu Nippon (dan Balada Orang-orang Batuputih) (The Village Hall and the Nippon Ghosts [and Ballads of the People of Batuputih]). The Sutasoma Awards are a prestigious recognition in the literary and literacy landscape, particularly in East Java.

Following a rigorous judging process conducted by a five-member panel chaired by Prof. Dr. Djoko Saryono, M.Pd., a professor of Indonesian Language and Literature Education at the Faculty of Letters, Universitas Negeri Malang (UM), Falah’s collection emerged as a standout work. The collection had previously been named a “Manuscript That Caught the Jury’s Attention” in the 2023 Poetry Manuscript Competition organized by the Jakarta Arts Council. It has now drawn further recognition for its innovative contribution to the poetry scene in East Java.

According to the jury’s official report for the 2026 Sutasoma Awards, the collection occupies a distinctive position in the landscape of contemporary poetry, particularly in East Java. At a time when much of East Java’s recent poetry has been dominated by lyrical forms, Falah takes a different approach, using narrative poetry to reconstruct a community’s collective memory, myths, and oral traditions.

The jury identified the collection’s structural coherence, from beginning to end, as one of its greatest strengths. The poetic world it creates was praised for its consistency, with no jarring transitions from one poem to the next. The collection also traces a thematic movement that swings from the distant, elevated, and fantastical toward the ordinary and fundamental, before ultimately returning to the earth.

Reflecting on the award, Falah expressed both joy and an awareness of the new responsibility it brings to his writing.

“First of all, of course, I’m happy that my poetry collection, Balai Desa dan Hantu-Hantu Nippon, has received an award from the East Java Language Center. At the same time, though, it feels like a kind of moral burden, because for me, an award is another way of expressing responsibility—specifically, the responsibility to return to writing poetry,” said the poet, who was born in 2000.

Falah also expressed his gratitude to the many people who contributed to the making of the book. He refers to it as “our book,” acknowledging that its writing and publication involved the efforts of many people, particularly his colleagues at Anagram Publishing, including Doni Ahmadi and editor Willy Fahmy Agiska. He also thanked his friends at Malatè Artspace, an arts community in Sumenep Regency, who offered feedback throughout the poetry-writing process.

In particular, Falah thanked his grandmother, who introduced him to the myths of his hometown when he was a child. These stories brought him closer to the lives and experiences of earlier generations and later became one of the sources he drew on in crafting his poems. Stories about life in Batuputih also provided material for the collection.

The 2026 Sutasoma Award recognizes the literary achievement of Balai Desa dan Hantu-Hantu Nippon (dan Balada Orang-orang Batuputih) while highlighting how poetry can serve as a space for transforming collective memory, mythology, oral traditions, and community experiences into contemporary literary expression.

For Falah, an FCS UGM student whose debut poetry collection is titled Sebuah Kota Yang Menculik Kita (A City That Kidnaps Us), the award does not mark the end of his literary journey. Instead, it represents a renewed responsibility to keep writing and to contribute to the development of poetry within Indonesia’s broader literary ecosystem.

During the panel discussion, Dr. Puji Retno Hardiningtyas, head of the East Java Language Center, explained that the Sutasoma Awards are part of the institution’s broader mandate to develop and promote language and literature.

“The Language Center plays a role in language preservation and public outreach, particularly in efforts to develop language and literature. One way we carry out this responsibility is by recognizing communities and practitioners working in language and literature. The Sutasoma Awards are how we have put that commitment into practice for the 18th time,” Retno said.

Based on her observations and experience in the field, among the 30 technical implementation units (UPTs) of language centers across Indonesia, the East Java Language Center remains committed to recognizing language and literature practitioners, communities, teachers, and others dedicated to the development of language and literature.

She also emphasized the crucial role of East Java’s literary works in enriching Indonesia’s linguistic and literary heritage. Works written in Javanese, Madurese, the Osing dialect of Javanese, and Indonesian, she noted, help expand the Indonesian lexicon while introducing regional languages and Indonesian through the richness of local wisdom.

“I believe that the works you produce—whether in Javanese, Madurese, the Osing dialect of Javanese, or Indonesian—serve as important milestones in enriching our vocabulary and introducing regional languages and Indonesian through the local wisdom expressed in your writing,” said Retno, who previously worked as a researcher at the Bali Language Center.

Retno further noted that writers, literary figures, communities, teachers, and language and literature practitioners in East Java make contributions that are just as strategically important as those of literary figures and works at the national level. The works produced by Sutasoma Award recipients, she said, represent a significant contribution with a broad impact on the development of Indonesian literature.

“This also demonstrates that the writers, literary figures, communities, teachers, and language and literature practitioners in East Java are every bit as capable as their counterparts at the national level. The works you have produced—including those of the seven recipients being recognized through this year’s Sutasoma Awards—have a far-reaching impact and play an important role in the development of Indonesian literature,” Retno said.

Author: Selvia Parwati Putri

The Study Program of Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture held its regular discussion series, entitled “The Dynamics of Javanese Literature in the Media: Creation, Works, and Changes,” on Friday, 25 September 2026. In its September edition, the discussion focused on the theme “Javanese Literature in Radio Broadcasting” and was held in Room 709, Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB) UGM, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Western Indonesia Time (WIB).

For the event, the Study Program of Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture invited Titik Renggani, a senior broadcaster at RRI, theatre practitioner, and Javanese cultural preservationist from Yogyakarta. The event was attended by students from various cohorts of the Study Program of Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture, as well as exchange students.

In her presentation, Titik Renggani shared her experience of the presence of literature in radio broadcasting, particularly at RRI. She discussed various aspects related to the creation of literary works, including radio, geguritan (Javanese poetry), radio magazines, features, and other forms, as well as the reading and delivery of literary works through broadcasts and the role of voice actors in broadcasting. She also highlighted various opportunities that can be explored by those interested in radio and the creative industries.

One of the points that attracted the participants’ attention was information about the audience size of RRI Yogyakarta. During the session, Titik Renggani presented data from the RRI Digital application and stated that on the day of the event, Friday, 25 September 2026, RRI Yogyakarta had approximately 208,000 listeners. According to the data she presented, this figure was higher than the audience figures recorded for RRI Jakarta and RRI Surabaya at the time.

Titik Renggani also encouraged students to continue developing their skills and creating works in their respective fields. “If I, as someone who graduated in economics, can continue creating works through broadcasting, including those related to Javanese language and literature, then you should be able to do so as well, because you are studying these fields,” she said.

Following the presentation, the event continued with a discussion session. The discussion was conducted in a serious yet relaxed atmosphere, encouraging participants to actively raise questions. The topics discussed varied, ranging from the process of creating Javanese literary works and the world of broadcasting and RRI to tips for producing engaging and high-quality works.

The discussion provided students with an opportunity to view Javanese literature not only as an object of academic study but also as part of creative practice that can be presented through various media. The experience shared by Titik Renggani demonstrated that radio can serve as a space for Javanese literature to continue to be used, developed, and introduced to the wider public.

Through this discussion, participants gained an overview of the presence and development of Javanese literature in radio and broadcasting. For students, Titik Renggani’s experience also provided insights into opportunities to develop Javanese language and literature through creative media. The discussion further demonstrated that efforts to nguri-uri (‘preserve’) and ngurip-urip (‘keep alive and enliven’) the Javanese language and literature can be pursued through various media so that they remain present and relevant amid the changing times.

Writer: Haryo Untoro

Editor: Haryo Untoro

Hamzah Fansuri’s legacy extends far beyond the poems preserved in the Malay literary tradition. Behind works such as Syair Perahu and Syair Ikan Tunggal lie enduring debates about humanity and God, as well as questions of power and cultural boundaries that continue to invite scholarly inquiry. These issues were revisited at the National Seminar “Hamzah Fansuri and the Poetic Tradition of the Nusantara,” organized by the Master’s Program in Literature at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) in collaboration with the Government of Subulussalam City at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, UGM, on Wednesday, September 16, 2026.

Held from 12:00 to 17:00 WIB, the seminar brought together three scholars as speakers: Prof. Dr. Faruk, S.U.; Prof. Dr. Aprinus Salam, M.Hum.; and Prof. Dr. Sangidu, M.Hum. The discussion was moderated by Rini Febriani.

The seminar provided an academic forum for examining Hamzah Fansuri, his works and Sufi thought, as well as their significance for the development of Malay literature and the intellectual history of the Nusantara. The collaboration also formed part of an effort to reintroduce Hamzah Fansuri as an important intellectual figure closely associated with Subulussalam.

In his remarks, the Mayor of Subulussalam described Hamzah Fansuri as a source of pride for the people of Subulussalam. He also highlighted the recognition Hamzah Fansuri had received and the enduring significance of his intellectual legacy.

He emphasized Hamzah Fansuri’s important place in the cultural history of the Nusantara. For this reason, he hoped that the collaboration between the Government of Subulussalam City and UGM’s Master’s Program in Literature would serve as a starting point for developing a range of cultural initiatives, including plans to hold a Hamzah Fansuri Festival in Subulussalam.

“This is the beginning of the Hamzah Fansuri Festival that we hope to hold in Subulussalam,” the Mayor said in his remarks.

Meanwhile, the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, UGM, in his opening remarks, stressed the importance of viewing the Malay language and literary tradition not merely as means of communication, but also as part of the intellectual heritage of the Nusantara.

He highlighted Hamzah Fansuri’s contribution to the development of the syair genre. His work, he noted, demonstrates how literature can serve as a space for articulating profound reflections on human existence, divinity, and the human journey.

One work discussed was Syair Perahu, which portrays the human journey through the metaphor of a boat. Literature, he suggested, offers more than linguistic beauty; it also provides intellectual depth and a means of reflecting on the complexities of life.

In the contemporary context, literature can also offer a moment to pause and reconsider the direction in which society is moving. The question of where Indonesia’s “boat” is heading is one such reflection that can be drawn from literature today.

Examining Hamzah Fansuri’s Works and Sufi Thought

The first speaker, Prof. Dr. Sangidu, presented a paper entitled “The Works of Hamzah Fansuri and His Sufi Thought.” He discussed several of Hamzah Fansuri’s prose and poetic works, as well as the development of the Sufi ideas underlying them.

Sangidu explained that Hamzah Fansuri’s thought was influenced by the Neo-Platonic tradition and the ideas of Ibn Arabi. Hamzah Fansuri left behind works in Malay, including a number of syair and rubā’i. Four rubā’i later provided with commentaries (syarah) by Syamsuddin as-Samatrani are Subchānal-Lāh Terlalu Kāmil, Allah Maujud Terlalu Bāqī, Sidang Fakir Empunya Kata, and Ikan Tunggal Bernama Fādhil.

One of the main works discussed was Syair Ikan, which is known by two names: Syair Ikan Tongkol and Syair Ikan Tunggal. Sangidu preferred the term Ikan Tunggal, following Doorenbos’s reading, because he considered the poem closely connected to the concept of wahdatul wujud.

In this interpretation, the fish represents the human being, or sālik, while the sea represents God. The relationship between the fish and the sea illustrates the relationship between humanity and God within the framework of wahdatul wujud. Human beings are likened to waves that emerge from water and ultimately return to water as their source. In this sense, the wave and the water are part of a single unity.

Sangidu also discussed the concepts of tajalli and Nur Muhammad. The universe is understood as a manifestation of God’s Essence and Being, while human beings, as microcosms, undertake a spiritual journey toward knowledge of and closeness to God. This process is associated with fanā’ fil-Lāh, tarkud-dunyā, and the attainment of ma’rifatullah.

The discussion then turned to Sidang Fakir Empunya Kata. In this work, self-knowledge becomes an important part of the journey toward knowing God. Sangidu explained that spiritual experience in Hamzah Fansuri’s work places the heart at the center of the process of coming to know God. The purification of the heart and the practice of ilmu hakikat are integral to this journey.

Sangidu also situated Hamzah Fansuri’s thought within the historical context of Aceh, referring to figures such as Syamsuddin as-Samatrani, Nuruddin ar-Raniri, Sultan Iskandar Muda, and Sultan Iskandar Tsani. Shifting interpretations of Sufism, he noted, were closely connected to changes in Aceh’s political and power structures.

Sufism, Marxism, and the Human Condition

The second speaker, Prof. Dr. Aprinus Salam, addressed the theme “Problems of Indonesia, Sufism’s Martabat Tujuh, and (Post-)Marxism.”

Aprinus began by examining the tendency to excuse wrongdoing and harmful acts as simply “human.” Expressions such as “people are only human” or “that is only human nature,” he argued, can become problematic when they are used to justify or normalize actions that cause harm.

He then connected this issue to the histories of colonialism, modernization, capitalism, and the development of social theory in Indonesia. From the seventeenth century onward, colonialism helped shape class and social-status structures as part of the governance of Nusantara society. By the early twentieth century, social theories, including Marxism, had begun to circulate and were being used to understand Indonesia’s social, economic, and political conditions.

According to Aprinus, secularization and modernization also contributed to placing Sufism in a more limited position within academic discourse. Marxism, meanwhile, became a source of concern for the ruling authorities and was banned during the New Order period because it was seen as potentially encouraging radical resistance to power. After 1998, capitalism and modernism continued to expand, while Marxism underwent a transformation toward post-Marxism.

It was at this point that Aprinus explored a possible meeting point between post-Marxism and Sufism. Post-Marxism is concerned, among other things, with the emergence of radical subjects, while the Martabat Tujuh tradition contains the concept of insan kamil, or the perfected human being. Although they belong to different intellectual frameworks, both can be approached through the question of human liberation from ideological, political, economic, and social constraints.

Aprinus also connected this discussion to the position of Sufi literature in the history of Indonesian literature. Sufi literature, he argued, has continued to develop, even though it has not always occupied a prominent position in discussions of Indonesian literature. Some works from the Balai Pustaka period already displayed Sufi dimensions, while in the post-independence period—particularly as state control became increasingly pronounced in the 1970s—Sufism became one of the spaces through which literature could sustain particular forms of expression.

In subsequent developments, poets such as Abdul Hadi, Sutardji Calzoum Bachri, Zawawi Imron, and Cak Nun have been associated with Sufi tendencies in their works. For Aprinus, examining Sufi literature is part of a broader effort to reconsider the relationship between literature, humanity, and social life.

The discussion was further expanded through the idea of human beings as interconnected with nature and their environment. Aprinus suggested that traditional Indonesian communities, which understand humans as intimately connected with plants, animals, and material objects, might be viewed as embodying a form of “Nusantara posthumanism.”

Hamzah Fansuri and Sultan Iskandar Muda

The third speaker, Prof. Dr. Faruk, presented a paper entitled “Hamzah Fansuri and Sultan Iskandar Muda: A Homology.”

Faruk began by asking why Hamzah Fansuri’s works received different treatment during the reign of Sultan Iskandar Muda and in the period that followed. His presentation compared the political circumstances under Sultan Iskandar Muda with those under Sultan Iskandar Tsani.

The reign of Sultan Iskandar Muda was presented as a period of Aceh’s prominence, characterized by a strong orientation toward global trade and political expansion. Under Sultan Iskandar Tsani, by contrast, the ruling authorities were more deeply preoccupied with internal affairs and struggles for power.

From this comparison, Faruk identified a homology between the orientation of Sultan Iskandar Muda and the tendencies within Hamzah Fansuri’s thought. Iskandar Muda sought to move beyond local boundaries through trade and political expansion, while Hamzah Fansuri’s Sufi thought likewise moved beyond geographical and cultural boundaries.

According to Faruk, Hamzah Fansuri’s Sufi thought situates human life within a more universal dimension. Sufism, in this reading, has an impulse toward crossing the border—moving beyond boundaries that divide people according to territory and culture. Hamzah Fansuri’s thought can therefore be considered in relation to cosmopolitanism and an openness to diversity.

Faruk also examined the relationship between Hamzah Fansuri’s Sufi ideas and the syair form through which they were expressed. The breadth of his Sufi thought, he suggested, sometimes seemed to exceed the capacity of the syair form to contain it fully. The tension between literary form and the expansiveness of thought thus offers an important subject for further study.

The national seminar demonstrated that discussions of Hamzah Fansuri extend beyond the history of Malay literature. They also intersect with Sufism, the political history of Aceh, social theory, cultural studies, and the development of intellectual thought in the Nusantara.

Through the collaboration between UGM’s Master’s Program in Literature and the Government of Subulussalam City, the seminar is expected to open broader avenues for scholarly research and cultural initiatives surrounding Hamzah Fansuri, while bringing academic inquiry into dialogue with efforts to reintroduce the intellectual and literary heritage of the Malay world to the wider public.

Author: Khotibul Umam

The international workshop “Commodity, Plantation, and Colonialism in Indonesia: Current Research in Social, Economic, and Architectural History” will be held on July 23–24, 2026, at Pavillon 333, the Architecture Museum of the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Germany. This workshop is part of the exhibition series “Nge-Téh / Tea Time: Architectures of the Colonial Commodity Chain from Indonesia to Germany, 19th Century,” which runs from July 23–26, 2026. The workshop brings together scholars from various disciplines engaged in the study of commodity history, plantations, and colonialism. This event aims to foster dialogue encompassing architectural, social, economic, and cultural history from a historical perspective, spanning the early modern to the contemporary periods that shaped the tea commodity chain from Indonesia to Europe. Through an interdisciplinary lens, the workshop explores how colonial plantation systems not only shaped the physical landscape but also created social, economic, and cultural relationships whose influence is still felt today.

This workshop was held in conjunction with a visit by Prof. Dr. Pujo Semedi, known as the “Historical Anthropologist.” He was invited to serve as the keynote speaker and spoke about plantations in Indonesia from 1870 to 2020. His contributions to the advancement of knowledge serve as a fine example for students. Through research rooted in the experiences of local communities, knowledge of Indonesia’s colonial history can be enriched and introduced to an international audience as part of efforts to foster a more inclusive understanding of global history.

In addition to the discussion sessions, a “Nge-Téh / Tea Time” exhibition was also held. The exhibition explored the history of tea as a colonial commodity, from the plantations in West Java, through the processing and distribution via Batavia and Hamburg, to its consumption by the public in Germany. A variety of historical archives, photographs, tea trade artifacts, ceramic artworks, and documentary films were displayed to illustrate Indonesia’s connection to global trade networks. The exhibition also underscored that although Indonesia was never a German colony, the tea trade linked the two regions within the global colonial economic system.

This workshop serves as an important forum for strengthening international collaboration in the fields of colonial history, anthropology, architecture, and Southeast Asian studies. The discussions that emerged not only shed light on the colonial past but also encouraged critical reflection on sustainability, historical justice, and the importance of incorporating local communities’ perspectives in understanding the history of global commodities.

Author: Dewi Widyastuti

Picture: Prof. Pujo Semedi

Yogyakarta— The Literary Camp with Nature and the Universe, organized by the Master’s Program in Literary Studies at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), at Pondok A. Salam, Kalimasada, featured a Literary Oration session on Friday evening, August 14. Beginning at 7:30 p.m., the session brought together two speakers from the academic community of FIB UGM: Muhammad Lutfi Dwi Kurniawan, a doctoral student in Humanities at FIB UGM, and Rini Febriani Hauri, a master’s student in Literary Studies at FIB UGM.

The Literary Oration was an important part of the camp, providing a space for reflection on literature, the relationship between humans and nature, technological developments, and the future of the humanities.

In his presentation, “Unveiling the Pulse of the Text: Biopoetics and the Crisis of the Human–Nature Boundary in Literature,” Muhammad Lutfi Dwi Kurniawan introduced biopoetics as a way of exploring the relationship between life, human beings, nature, and literary works.

Broadly speaking, biopoetics is an interdisciplinary approach that brings together biology—the study of life—with poetics, literature, the arts, and other forms of creative expression. It opens up a way of understanding literature not simply as a product of language and culture, but as part of a wider conversation about life and humanity’s relationship with the biological world around us.

In his presentation, Lutfi offered the Achilles tendon as an intriguing example. This important part of the human body connects the calf muscles to the heel bone. The name Achilles comes from Achilles, the legendary Greek hero immortalized in Homer’s epic Iliad. The example illustrates how traces of literature and mythology can become embedded in the language through which human beings describe and understand the world—even in scientific terminology.

From this perspective, biopoetics becomes particularly relevant as the boundary between humans and nature is increasingly being questioned. Literature can provide a space to explore how people understand life, how nature is represented, and how relationships between humans and other living beings are shaped through language, imagination, and experience.

The theme “Unveiling the Pulse of the Text” thus takes literature into a broader intellectual territory, bringing textual studies into conversation with questions of life and the environment. Biopoetics allows literature to engage with scientific knowledge while also inviting us to reconsider the human position—not as something entirely separate from nature, but as part of a larger web of life.

Meanwhile, Rini Febriani Hauri presented “Reading Literature in the Age of Algorithms: Experience, Interpretation, and the Future of the Humanities.” Her presentation invited participants to reconsider the experience of reading literature amid rapid digital transformation and the relentless flow of information.

During her presentation, Rini quoted Franz Kafka:

“A book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us.”

The quotation offered a starting point for thinking about reading as more than an act of gathering information. Reading can be an experience that moves us, unsettles us, and even transforms the way we understand ourselves and the world.

In a digital culture increasingly defined by speed, where information arrives continuously and algorithms help determine what we see and read, Rini encouraged participants to read slowly. The invitation to slow down becomes a form of pause, and perhaps even a quiet resistance to the pressure to move constantly from one piece of information to another and to form immediate judgments.

Reading slowly gives the reader space to allow a text to work its way inward. It creates an opportunity to attend to language, discover layers of meaning, question one’s own experience, and encounter interpretations that might otherwise be missed in hurried reading.

In the age of algorithms, the experience of reading therefore becomes increasingly significant. As technology becomes capable of producing, circulating, and processing an almost limitless amount of text, the human capacity to read, feel, interpret, and make meaning remains something worth preserving.

Together, the two presentations brought into focus two important questions facing contemporary literature: the relationship between humans and nature, and the relationship between humans and technology. On the one hand, biopoetics invites us to reconsider the boundary between humanity and the living world. On the other, the discussion of literature in the age of algorithms asks us to consider how technology is reshaping the experience of reading and interpreting literary works.

Bringing these two themes together broadened the intellectual scope of the Literary Camp. Literature was not treated merely as an activity of reading and writing, but also as a space for understanding a changing world, questioning the boundaries of human experience, and reconsidering the future relationship between humans, nature, and technology.

Held at night, the Literary Oration also formed an integral part of the distinctive atmosphere of the Literary Camp. After spending the afternoon outdoors and experiencing the natural surroundings of Kalimasada, participants gathered to listen, discuss, and exchange perspectives on literature and the wider questions of human life.

The Literary Camp thus offered more than an opportunity to camp and socialize. It created an intellectual space where literary works, ideas, nature, science, technology, and human experience could meet within a single shared experience.

Author: Khotibul Umam