Fathyen Hamama Handry

Indonesian Writer, Fathyen Hamama Handry, coming to 2003 Sydney Writers' Festival, 19-25 May

Indonesian author, Fathyen Hamama Handry, will join over 150 writers from more than 10 countries at the Sydney Writers' Festival, 19-25 May. Writers from Australia, India, People's Republic of China, Israel, Palestine, Ireland, US, UK, Indonesia, New Zealand, Italy, France, Germany and Canada will participate in some 100 events in the week long Festival. The new director of the Sydney Writers' Festival, Caro Llewellyn, has assembled a cast of established international names, latest sensations and her own discoveries to whet the appetites of Sydney readers.

Above: Fathyen

Born in Padang in 1967, Fathyen (also known as Fatin) grew up in West Sumatra, and has spent over a decade in Cairo where she studied theology at the Women's Faculty of al-Azhar University. The central theme of her poetry is social criticism. She writes of riots and military violence in Indonesia - particularly in Semanggi and elsewhere in Jakarta - and of the problems faced by Indonesian women generally, farmers battling poverty, the suffering women of Aceh, and the urban poor. Fathyen continues to imagine a better Indonesia. The latest in her expanding collection, PAPYRUS (2002), demonstrates the powerful Islamic focus of her poetry.

These poems - and their titles - are an indication of Fathyen's position within a global Islamic historical consciousness. The opening poem, 'Al Fatihah', is also the name of the opening sura or chapter of the Koran, and like the sura the poem is only a few lines long: Segala puji bagi-Mu/ Tuhan/ lempangkan bagiku/ jalan/ amin [All praise to You/ God/ straighten out for me/ a path/ amen]. Her words attempt to verbalise the thoughts and emotions rising from her own deeply personal Islamic faith.

The distinctive Egyptian context of Fathyen's poetry is also important. Many of the poems were written in Cairo, where Fathyen leads the Cairo-based literary group, Komunitas Sastra Indonesia (Indonesian Literature Community). In poems such as 'Samira dan Sariyem', we read a poignant tale of the sad life of an Egyptian belly dancer. Fathyen's poetry also contains references back to pre-Islamic Egyptian culture. The title of the collection, PAPYRUS, clearly recalls another world, that of ancient Egypt at the dawn of civilisation. Elsewhere, by arranging a set of poems under the title 'Cleopatra', Fathyen invokes the famous, defiant (and non-Islamic) Egyptian woman and queen.

This extraordinary combining of the cultures and contexts of Indonesia, Egypt, Islam and pre-Islam by Fathyen has resulted in a fascinating and rich body of poetry, which speaks to us from both a global and local perspective. Her work can also be seen as a representation of a profoundly pluralistic view that has taken hold amongst many contemporary Muslim intellectuals in Indonesia.

Following her participation in the successful Australia-Indonesia Poetry Exchange (2002), Fathyen will be appearing at the 2003 Sydney Writer's Festival at the following times:

When: Thursday May 22nd, 1:00 - 2:00pm

Venue: Wharf 4/5 Hickson Rd. Walsh Bay. Bangarra Mezzanine
Event: Voices from Asia.
Cost: Free, no bookings required

When: Friday May 23rd, 2:00 - 3:30pm
Venue: Wharf 4/5 Hickson Rd. Walsh Bay. Sydney Philharmonia Choir
Event: Poetry Reading.
Cost: Free, no bookings required

Fathyen will be signing copies of her book at the Festival bookstore after each appearance.

Sydney Writers' Festival programs are available from Dymocks bookstores across New South Wales, City of Sydney information booths, libraries, all good bookstores or call the Festival Infoline on 02 9252 7734 or email admin@swf.org.au to have one mailed. All details are at www.swf.org.au. Major sponsors and supporters include City of Sydney, New South Wales Ministry for the Arts, Dymocks Booksellers, Macquarie Bank, Hotel Inter-Continental Sydney, The Sydney Morning Herald and the Australia Council for the Arts.

For more information about or to arrange an interview with Fathyen Hamama Handry, please contact Sydney Writers' Festival, Macquarie University student publicist ASHER BENJAMIN on ph: 0417 296 694 or em: abenj000@nwstudent.ocs.mq.edu.au.

Fatheyn's involvemnet in the Sydney Writers Festival has been facilitated by AIAA Poetry Co-ordinator Malia Ritaningsih
Email: mrtian_bid@yahoo.com.au