Indonesia has so many inspiring women that influence every Indonesian woman to be whatever they want including to be a female writer. Indonesia has so many female writers with their great work just like the Indonesian most famous painters. Most of them become so popular in making great fiction stories in Indonesia.
Speaking of female writers, now we have some of the Indonesian female writers for the fiction category. Even though the story is fiction but also some times it is so related to or daily life. That is why their works become so popular not only in Indonesia but also known well internationally.
1. NH Dini
NH Dini becomes the most inspiring female writer in Indonesia with her amazing works. Not only writing some fiction novels, but she also persuades people around her to loves reading both fiction and non-fiction or Indonesian folktales such as west Sumatran folktales and north Sumatran folktales. She said that she starts writing some fiction stories since she was at elementary school.
NH Dini was born in Semarang on 29 February 1936 and passed away in Semarang at 4 December 2018. She published so many great fiction novels such as Hati Yang Damai, Pada Sebuah Kapal, La Barka, Namaku Hiroko, Orang-Orang Trans, Pertemuan Dua Hati, and many more.
2. Mira Widjaja
Mira Widjaja or famously known as Mira W is an Indonesian fiction novelist that commonly brings us romance fiction in her novels. She was born in Jakarta on September 13, 1976. Not only romance but she also great in crime fiction but her most popular works are about romance.
Mira W used to have occupied as a doctor before became a great fiction writer. The first work of her published in the magazine is about a short story. She made a Benteng Kasih’s short story published in Femina magazine in 1975. Her first fiction novel calls as Dokter Nona Friska that published on Dewi magazine in 1977.
In 1980, Mira’s works that call as Di Sini Cinta Pertama Kali Bersemi becomes so famous that time. Until now, she had been publishing so many of her works. She admits that she inspired by NH Dini, Agatha Christie, YB Mangun Wijaya, and Harold Robbins.
3. Dewi Lestari
Dewi Lestari becomes so famous with her Supernova trilogy, the sci-fi, and romance novel in about 2001. She has so many great works such as Perahu Kertas, Filosofi Kopi, Madre, and many more. The Filosofi Kopi becomes her intentional works so that Indonesian knows how many types of Indonesian coffee beans. Before she becomes a famous writer, she used to write a short story in Gadis magazine.
Dewi Lestari was born in Bandung, 20 January 1976, and becomes so controversial after her first novel on its cover book. Hinduism sees her book cover as a cruel act for the history of Hinduism religion in Indonesia. So that she change the cover for her next books. Not only becomes a writer, but she also becomes a great singer with the Rida Sita Dewi trio.
4. Asma Nadia
Asma Nadia is a fiction novelist that so popular with her romance novels. She was born in Jakarta, 23 Juni 1972, and becomes the founder of Asma Nadia publisher as one of the biggest publisher company in Indonesia.
Every story in Nadia’s novel comes in the easiest way that is so related to daily life. That is why not only young adults but also Indonesian adults love her works so much. Some of her works have been published as the movie and become of the most movie you should watch.
Some of Nadia’s works are Surga Yang Tak Dirindukan, Assalamualaikum Beijing!, Jilbab Traveler, Rumah Tanpa Jendela, and many more.
5. Laksmi Pamuntjak
Laksmi Pamuntjak is a fiction novelist, poem writer, and journalist. She becomes so popular with her romance fiction novels and some culinary themes. She was born in Jakarta, 22 December 1971 and starts her debut in 1994 for Tempo magazine, Prisma journal, and The Jakarta Post.
Some of her greatest works such as Aruna Dan Lidahnya becomes her first movie and achieve the award from the Indonesian Film Festival 2018. Her other works that call as the Fall Baby becomes the winner of the Singapore Book Awards 2020 for the best literary work category.
6. Ika Natassa
Ika Natassa is an Indonesian female writer that so popular with her Critical Eleven fiction novel. The novel becomes an Indonesian favorite movie that you should watch. She doesn’t write this only fiction novel, but also so many novels before such as Architecture love, Sementara, Selamanya, and many more.
Ika Natassa also leads her podcast call as the thirty days of lunch series. The podcast is about to inspire someone with her story to be a motivated, a wiser, and a better person in life.
7. Leila Salikha Chudori
Leila Salikha Chudori is an Indonesian female writer that so popular with her fiction mythology novel and some movie scripts in Indonesian movies and television series. She was born in Jakarta, 12 December 1962 and start her passion for writing since in her elementary school.
The first works of her short story were published in Hai magazine, Kawanku magazine, and Si Kuncung magazine since she was 12 years old. She had so much work since then and became one of the Indonesian female writers that record in Dictionnaire des Creatrices that published by Edition Des Femmes publisher in France by Jacqueline Campus.
Other Chudori’s works are about movie script that becomes so popular with her Dunia Tanpa Koma in 2006 and Drupadi in 2009.
8. Ayu Utami
Ayu Utami is of the famous Indonesian female writer and journalist that was born in Bogor, 12 November 1968. She becomes so popular with her Saman novel in 1998. She achieved her first Prince Claus award in 2000 with her novel in Den Haag, Netherland.
So, there are some glances about some Indonesian female writers that you should know. Most of them focus on romance fiction novels with their unique stories. Have ever read one of their works?
