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| Lontar Foundation | |
|---|---|
| Name | Lontar Foundation |
| Formation | 1987 |
| Type | Non-profit cultural organization |
| Headquarters | Jakarta, Indonesia |
| Leader title | Founders |
| Leader name | Goenawan Mohamad; J.B. Kristanto; Umar Kayam |
Lontar Foundation is an Indonesian non-profit organization established in 1987 dedicated to translating, publishing, and promoting modern and classical Indonesian and Malay literature for international audiences. The foundation has developed programs that intersect literary translation, cultural preservation, and global publishing networks, working with writers, translators, and institutions across Southeast Asia and beyond.
The foundation was formed in a period of political transition linked to the late New Order era and grew amid debates surrounding the 1965–66 events, the Reformasi period, and changing cultural policies in Jakarta, Yogyakarta, and Bandung. Founders included public intellectuals associated with Tempo, Yogyakarta, and literary circles tied to the Jakarta Arts Council and the National Library of Indonesia. Early activities connected to translations of works by authors such as Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Chairil Anwar, Aminuddin Hassan, and Sutan Takdir Alisjahbana drew attention from publishers in London, New York City, Amsterdam, and Singapore. Over subsequent decades the organization navigated relationships with cultural agencies like British Council, Goethe-Institut, Asia-Europe Foundation, and regional bodies including ASEAN cultural networks and university presses such as Australian National University Press and Cornell University Press.
The foundation’s stated aim emphasizes translation, preservation, and dissemination of Indonesian and Malay literary heritage, engaging with translators, editors, and scholars from institutions such as Columbia University, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, National University of Singapore, Leiden University, and SOAS University of London. Activities include commissioning translations of fiction, poetry, and essays by figures like Budi Darma, Dewi Lestari, Ajip Rosidi, Seno Gumira Ajidarma, and Sapardi Djoko Damono; organizing seminars that feature speakers from Harvard University, University of Oxford, Yale University, and University of Melbourne; and running residency programs that involve partners such as Civitella Ranieri and the Fulbright Program. The foundation’s programs have intersected with archives and museums like the National Archives of Indonesia, Museum Nasional, and private collections associated with families of writers such as the estates of Pramoedya Ananta Toer and Chairil Anwar.
The organization has produced bilingual anthologies, critical editions, and translated monographs, collaborating with publishers including Random House, Penguin Books, Kopi, Gramedia, and academic presses such as University of Hawaiʻi Press and Routledge. Notable projects have included translations of works by Goenawan Mohamad, edited volumes featuring essays on Indonesian literature by critics connected to Cornell University and University of California, Berkeley, and digital initiatives archiving manuscripts alongside partners like the Digital Public Library of America and the Asian Library. Special projects have highlighted genres and movements such as the Pujangga Baru generation, the Balai Pustaka catalogue, and contemporary short fiction anthologies that feature writers from Aceh, West Java, Bali, Sulawesi, and Papua.
The foundation has maintained partnerships with international cultural institutions and grant-makers including Ford Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Japan Foundation, and regional arts organizations like Arts Council England and Goethe-Institut Indonesien. Academic collaborations span departments at University of Sydney, University of California, Los Angeles, University of Toronto, Erasmus University Rotterdam, and research centers such as the Southeast Asian Studies Program at Cornell and the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. They have also worked with translation networks and festivals like Dublin Literary Festival, Singapore Writers Festival, Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, and the Jakarta International Literary Festival.
Governance has typically involved a board of trustees and editorial advisory panels populated by journalists, writers, and academics associated with institutions such as Tempo (news magazine), Kompas, University of Indonesia, Gadjah Mada University, and Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia. Funding sources have included grants from foundations like Ford Foundation and Mellon Foundation, program support from bilateral cultural agencies including British Council and Goethe-Institut, project co-publishing with international houses such as Penguin Random House, and revenue from sales through distributors in Jakarta, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Bangkok.
The foundation’s translations and publications contributed to increased international visibility for authors who later received recognition from prizes and institutions like the Man Asian Literary Prize, CWA, International Dublin Literary Award, and fellowships at Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study and Civitella Ranieri. Scholarly citations in journals affiliated with Cornell University Press, University of Hawaiʻi Press, and Cambridge University Press reflect its role in shaping curricula and research in Southeast Asian studies, comparative literature, and translation studies at universities such as Harvard, Yale, SOAS, and University of British Columbia. Cultural programs supported by the foundation have been showcased at venues including the British Library, Institut Français, Embassy of the Netherlands in Jakarta, and festival stages in Istanbul, Berlin, and New York City.
Category:Literary organizations Category:Indonesian culture Category:Translation organizations