Ministry Of Culture Prepares Translator And Sastra Agent For Internationalization Of Indonesian Literature

JAKARTA - Indonesia does not want to be a spectator on the world literary stage anymore. For this reason, the Ministry of Culture launched two strategic programs: the Laboratory of Literature Translator and the Laboratory of Literature Promoters. The goal is clearly to strengthen the position of Indonesian literary works in the eyes of the international community.

The launch of these two programs was marked by a public discussion entitled 'Sasitra Mendunia: The Role of Translators and Promoters in Internationalization of Indonesian Literature' at Graha Utama of the Ministry of Education and Culture, Jakarta, Wednesday, June 11.

Minister of Culture Fadli Zon said books and literature are cultural diplomacy tools that have not been utilized optimally.

Our potential is large. But it has not been connected to the global ecosystem. These two laboratories answered the challenge," said Fadli in a written statement received Thursday, June 12.

The Literature Translation Laboratory will train a generation of young Indonesian translators to be able to bring local works to the world market. Meanwhile, the Literature Promotor Laboratory will provide literary agents with pitching skills, marketing of translation rights, to negotiating the issuance contract.

This program is open to the public. Registration for translators is open until June 15, 2025, and promoters until June 16, 2025. Classes start from July to September 2025, with an online and offline system. Complete info is available on Instagram @pusbangfilm and @kemenkebud.

Director General of Cultural Development, Ahmad Mahendra, said this program is part of a strategy to strengthen five ecosystems: film, music, performing arts, fine arts, and literature.

We once had a life and influential literary era. It's time to rise again, to appear in our own country and the world," he said.

Ahmad added that strengthening the literary ecosystem is divided into five focuses: production, dissemination, consumption, internationalization, and human resources as well as infrastructure.

Lara Norgaard, a fictional Indonesian, Brazilian, and Latin American translator, who is a mentor, hopes that this program will become a learning space for young translators. Meanwhile, Jearkahme Bouchaud, a literary agent from Astier-Pecher (Paris), said that Indonesia is rich in talent and stories, only to be strengthened in terms of strategy and trust.

"Participants will learn to compose scripts, understand copyright, and enter the world market," said Jér fireme in a video broadcast.

This discussion also presented writers Eka Kurniawan, translator Dalih Sembiring, Dhianita Kusuma, and literary agent Yani Kurniawan.

According to Fadli, literary works have been proven to produce other great works such as films. "The rain of June and Jalan Tak Ada Ujung were all born from literature," he said.

This program is part of seven initiatives in the agenda of Strengthening the Literature Ecosystem, under the coordination of the Special Staff of the Minister for Cultural Diplomacy, Anissa Rengganis. These include: National Talent Management, Sastra Festival, Literature Community, to Intellectual Property-based Literature.

Through this program, the Ministry of Culture wants to make literature not only archives, but life powers that represent Indonesia's voice and imagination to the world.