Drought: Novel

Drought is a celebration of life and human commitment. The hero decides to move to one of Indonesia’s outer islands, in a government-run program called “transmigration”, to start a new life as a farmer. His near-failed effort takes him to meet various inspired madmen—bureaucrats, bandits, psychiatrists, religious teachers, and a beautiful woman known only as the V.I.P. The combination of these characters will make us question what is considered “normal” in a conventional society. The book is a lyrical testimony of the strength and unpredictability of human character.

• Iwan Simatupang, Author

  Iwan Simatupang studied anthropology and drama at Leiden University in the Netherlands and philosophy at the Sorbonne, France. He then returned to Indonesia and married a Dutch pianist. He published The Redness of Red (1968), The Pilgrim (1969), and Drought (1972). The Redness of Red won a national literary award in 1970 and The Pilgrim was awarded the First ASEAN Literary Award in 1977. Iwan Simatupang also wrote a number of poetry, short stories, and plays---all known for their avant-garde form. He was also a journalist, and his columns frequently focus on Indonesia’s marginalized communities.

• Harry Aveling, Translator