Yogyakarta's Apsas 2025 Honoring Literary Legends

KBRN, Yogyakarta: Yogyakarta, as the City of Literature, boasts a rich history, an active literary community, a supportive environment for creativity, and the community's support. The city is the birthplace of superb literary works and a center for developing Indonesian literature.

One literary event that has helped revitalize the literary tradition in Yogyakarta is the Apresiasi Sastra (Apsas), a literary appreciation event.

The event consistently facilitates discussions and ideas on various literary works, from poetry to novels.

The 20th Apsas literary event occurred last weekend at Balai Budaya Karangkitri in Panggungharjo Village, Sewon Subdistrict, Bantul Regency, Yogyakarta.

"Every year, we discuss 10 books. Apsas aims to create an atmosphere similar to the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany, featuring speakers, books, and authors," explained Sigit Susanto, the coordinator of Apsas, on Saturday, February 1, 2025.

This event also marks the first celebration of a century of literature. It commemorates the centenary of the death of Franz Kafka, an influential writer from Prague who lived in the 20th century, Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Sitor Situmorang, and Ali Akbar (A.A.) Navis.

Apsas, held annually, has successfully attracted professional writers, students, and the general public. It brings together writers, books for sale, and readers.

By addressing various themes in each event, Apsas has successfully created a dynamic and inspiring space for literature enthusiasts.

"Apsas aims to provide a space for literature and book lovers to discuss and exchange ideas," said Sunardi, a representative of Radio Buku, a literacy community.

This annual literary event, initiated by Radio Buku, has become a tradition since 2005 and is eagerly awaited by literature enthusiasts.

Logo Situmorang, the youngest son of renowned Indonesian poet and essayist Sitor Situmorang, is grateful for the event honoring his father's literary legacy.

"I and my family would like to thank Apsas and Radio Buku. I hope that this event will continue to thrive," Logo said.

Approximately 287 enthusiastic participants joined the various activities at this year's Apsas.

The event featured a wide range of activities, including readings from Jejak Imanji by the Jogja literature study group, poetry readings, discussions on the translated novel 'Minyak Anjing' by Tiya Haptiawati, and conversations about Sally Rooney's novel 'Conversations with Friends' facilitated by Ipang Pamungkas.

Musical performances, short story readings in Javanese by Hasta Indriyana, and a prologue commemorating four literary figures delivered by Saut Situmorang, Raudal Tanjung Banua, An Ismanto, and Muhidin M Dahlan further enlivened the event.

The event concluded with discussions on novels, short story collections, and essays.

Pany, a literature student from the University of Gadjah Mada (UGM) hailing from Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, expressed her enthusiasm about attending Apsas 2025 for the first time.

A fan of Franz Kafka's "Metamorphosis," Pany learned about Apsas from her friends and believed attending the event would broaden her reading horizons.

"I hope events like Apsas can be held not only in Yogyakarta but also in other regions like Lombok," said Pany. ***