Iranian writers join global peers at Jakarta literary event
Iran joined international poets from Japan, Malaysia, and the Philippines at the Jakarta International Literary Festival 2024.
The festival, which is in its fourth year since its inception in 2019, was officially opened by Indonesia’s Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, and the Deputy Ambassador and Cultural attaché of Iran in Jakarta, IRNA reported.
This year’s festival is themed “Words and Actions Aligned on Eco Literature,” which aims to promote literature, culture, and environmental sustainability.
Iranian poet, translator, and academic Naghmeh Mostashar Nezami also participated in the festival by sending a pre-recorded video that addressed environmental issues and global peace through poetry in both Persian and English.
On the sidelines of the festival, Iran’s Cultural attaché Mohammad Reza Ebrahimi, met with Indonesia’s Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, and discussed various issues, including the implementation of a cultural cooperation agreement between the two countries.
“We will soon discuss important issues, especially the implementation of the cultural cooperation agreement between Iran and Indonesia, with the Iranian embassy officials,” Zon said.
According to Anton Kurnia, the festival’s director and head of the Jakarta Arts Council Novel Competition, the event seeks to address some of the world’s pressing environmental issues through literary and cultural perspectives.
“We are trying to offer a literary perspective on this problem,” Kurnia said. “As we know, we’ve seen a number of literary works emerge that offer alternative views on how to create a better world in the midst of this critical situation.”
The festival features a range of events, including a media exhibition, a book fair, a writers’ roundtable with dozens of speakers, book launches, and a discussion related to the theme, as well as an awards night for a literary criticism competition.
Japanese poet Hiromi Kawakami was invited as the keynote speaker for the opening ceremony, sharing her poetic insights and views on environmental criticism and personal stories that highlight sustainability in literature.
Kawakami is a renowned Japanese writer known for her gentle narratives that explore the relationship between humans, nature, and the beauty of everyday life, as well as her disaster-themed works.