Bellende Katzen und andere Entdeckungen in der indonesischen Literatur

A Conversation with Esther Jessica Christian and Sabine Müller

Indonesian is considered a “minor” language on the local book market, as literary translations into German have been virtually nonexistent to date, and little is still known about the literary diversity of the archipelago, which comprises more than 17,000 islands. Yet there are exciting discoveries to be made in both classical and contemporary Indonesian literature. The rapid social changes of recent decades and the associated current discourses are reflected in the literary works of contemporary authors, as is the engagement with the country’s colonial history.

Literary works from Indonesia undoubtedly deserve more international attention.

Within the archipelago itself, various stakeholders are working in diverse ways to build literary bridges to other countries and cultures. These include, among others, publishers whose catalogs reflect the country’s cultural diversity, who champion literary diversity, and who publish translations from other languages.

Eka Kurniawan is such a bridge-builder in more ways than one. The multi-award-winning author, whose works have been translated into over forty languages to date, founded the publishing house Moooi Pustaka in Jakarta in 2018, which publishes contemporary Indonesian literature as well as translations from German, among other works.

In a conversation with translator Sabine Müller and Esther Christian, a board member of the German-Indonesian Society, we’ll learn why Kurniawan is regarded as an exceptional literary talent beyond Indonesia’s borders and what awaits us in his latest novel, *Barking Cats*. We’ll also gain insights into the dedicated work of Indonesian authors—which extends beyond writing—and into literary scenes that offer insightful and exciting discoveries for interested readers. 

With the kind support of Weltlesebühne e.V.

Esther Jessica Christianwas born in Jakarta and has lived in Germany since she was 15. She is pursuing a master’s degree in economics at the University of Cologne and aspires to a career in development finance. 

Sabine Mülleris a translator of Indonesian and English and works as an editor for online and print media as well as an Indonesian language instructor. She studied ethnology, Malay studies, and sociology in Cologne, as well as Indonesian at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta.

Eka Kurniawan: Barking Cats

Unionsverlag, Zurich, Switzerland,

August 2026

Novel

Translated from Indonesian by Sabine Müller

160 pages

ISBN 978-3-293-00637-9

https://www.unionsverlag.com/info/title.asp?title_id=8971

Little Sato Reang would love to be the world’s biggest troublemaker, but his father has other plans: he wants him to become a devout boy. So Sato Reang has to get up and pray when even the roosters in his Javanese village are still asleep, and everything that’s fun is forbidden: playing soccer, catching grasshoppers, pushing old people. Sato Reang is growing up, and with him grow his defiance and his blazing anger. Soon, defiant flames of freedom are dancing toward him.

You can find an initial review on theSWR website