‘Jakarta Jive’

Presenting: Ayu Utami, David Van Reybrouck and Gie Goris

Indonesia is much more than a destination for spiritual backpackers. Seventy years after it gained independence and twenty years after the fall of dictatorship the country is more ambitious than ever. Today, the biggest Muslim country in the world finds itself at the crossroads of tradition and modernity. A perfect breeding ground for writers who embrace the present whilst trying to get a grip on the past. The young Indonesian author Ayu Utami will converse with the Belgian author David Van Reybrouck and MO*editor-in-chief Gie Goris.

Ayu Utami was born in Bogor, grew up in Jakarta and obtained her bachelor degree in Literature Studies from University of Indonesia. She worked as a journalist for Matra, Forum Keadilan, and D&R. Not long after the New Order regime closed Tempo, Editor, and Detik, she participated in the founding of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AIJ) of Indonesia.

David Van Reybrouck is an award-winning author from Belgium, most known for the international bestseller Congo. He’s currently writing a book about the Dutch East Indies.