Okky Madasari

Okky Madasari is an Indonesian novelist known for her exquisite portrayals of the social and political conditions in contemporary Indonesia. In 2012, The Outcast – a story about a sect coping with discrimination, banning, violence, and death in the name of mainstream religious belief – received the Khatulistiwa Literary Award. 

The Years of the Voiceless (2010), set at a time when the New Order regime controlled the country, is a tale about Indonesia’s most brutal period, transcending into humanity’s struggle for justice, freedom, and women’s liberation while questioning authority of religion on people. 86 (2011), addresses the corruption phenomenon in Indonesia. Bound (2015), translated and published in Germany titled Gebunden: Stimmen der Trommel, tells  about a life of a transgender in a religiously conservative society and violent military regime. 

The Last Crowd (2017) is the first Indonesian novel that seriously tackles an issue about human life in the era of electronic gadgets and social media. Yang Bertahan dan Binasa Perlahan (2017) is her first anthology of short stories. Her works focus on one overarching theme: resistance against injustice and the struggle for freedom and humanity.