Pramoedya wins Norwegian Authors's Union award

The Jakarta Post

28 May 04

JAKARTA (JP): Revered Indonesian author Pramoedya Ananta Toer, 79, won the Norwegian Authors' Union award for his contribution to world literature and his continuous struggle for the right to freedom of expression.

"By showing what the risk of the expression of speech, Pak Pramoedya has demonstrated to us the value of freedom of expression," the union chairman, Geir Pollen, said in a statement issued by the Royal Norwegian Embasssy here on Thursday.

Pollen will come to Jakarta to hand a cash prize of Rp 125 million (US$13,440) over to Pramoedya in a special ceremony held at Taman Ismail Marzuki here on June 2, 2004, which is hosted by the Norwegian Embassy.

Every year the Norwegian Authors Union gives an award to authors who have made an extraordinary contribution to the right of freedom of expression in the world.

In September 2000, Pramoedya won the 11th Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize. The officials described Pramoedya as "one of the truly great winners of Asia", adding that his literary work tackled issues concerning national independence and the emancipation of mankind.

They cited his Buru tetralogy, which includes Bumi Manusia (Earth of Mankind) and Anak Semua Bangsa (Child of All Nations), were based on his story-telling to fellow political prisoners at locations where he had been exiled. The tetralogy was banned under the regime of Soeharto, who resigned in May 1998. (Darul Aqsha)