Ngarto Februana is an Indonesian novelist, journalist, short stories writer, and teacher. Recently, he is a journalist at
Koran TEMPO Jakarta-based daily newspaper, a leading newspaper in Indonesia. In addition since 2007 he has been taught copyediting at Faculty of Languages and Arts Jakarta State University. He has written four novels and about 50’s short stories that published by some mass media.
Ngarto was born on 4 February 1967 in Batu, small village in Malang district, East Java, Indonesia, the son of the Tarimo and Mudjiati. He is the fourth of six children. His father is a small farmer with agriculture land less than two hectare. His mother is a fruits trader.
In his early childhood Ngarto was well educated in city home school. In 1983 Ngarto began attending High School Batu, when he was found himself his talent in writing. Graduating from high school in 1986, he moved to Yogyakarta, central Java, to entered Indonesian Department, Faculty of Letters, Gadjah Mada University, one of the recognized university in Indonesia.
In February 1995, Ngarto was awarded the degree of bachelor of arts from the university.
During a lifelong living as a student, Ngarto devoted his time spent in the student movement. During this period, he also became intensely critical of any policy of New Order’s Soeharto administration. The year in Yogyakarta had a politically radicalizing effect on him. Eventually, however, he take a part in leading of Student Solidarity for Democracy in Indonesia (SSDI) as general secretary. SSDI is a student organization that became embryo for leftist People Democratic Party (Partai Rakyat Demokratik). His experience during in student movement, and farmer protest in several region, provide inspiration his works, directly or indirectly, and provide the background for his novel Tapol (political prisoner) that published later years.
However, finally he became disillusioned with the revolutionary movement and its leaders. Later years he separated from the leftist group and developed another political group that is Pergerakan Demokrat Indonesia, a social-democrat organization that established in 1995. In the organization Ngarto take a part as general secretary from 1995 until 2000.
Around this time, in a academic livelong, when he was a student, he also pursuits to reading, writing, especially short stories, and painting, a hobby he took up starting in 1983 when he attending in Batu State High School. After he graduating from UGM, he take a job as non-profit organization freelancer while leading the organization. In 1997 he worked as copyeditor at D&R Jakarta-based weekly magazine. In 2000 he was an editor of Semanggi, Jakarta-based weekly tabloid. In 2001 Ngarto worked as copyeditor at DeTAK, Jakarta-based weekly tabloid. From 2001 until now he has been worked at PT Tempo Inti Media, as researcher and then as a journalist. In addition from 2007 he has taught copyediting at Faculty of Languages and Arts Jakarta State University.
Ngarto and His Works
Ngarto is a quiet, religious man, but he had a rich sense of humor, as shown in his some short stories. Ngarto is considered one of Indonesian most important authors. Taken as marginal peoples live, such as indigenous people, poorest village women, prostitute, political prisoner, the novel has always been well respected by critics. The importance of language and the construction of identity in Ngarto's works has been studied. He was able to address the topic in greater depth.
He has been written four novels. In 1999 he published his first novel, Lorong Tanpa Cahaya (The Alleyway without Light). The novel was published by Media Pressindo, Yogyakarta, central Java, Indonesia.
Through the novel, Ngarto Februana paid his attention for detail a prostitute's living description. Wibi, a main character of the novel, was born and grown up in Sosrowijayan, an unique prostitution complex in Yogyakarta down city, a city known as a cultural city in central Java, Indonesia. He came from a poorest family. In his early childhood, Wibi very suffered. His friends in the elementary school where Wibi studied often said that Wibi was prostitute's children.
The main character of the novel, Wibi, has a traumatic experience that influence on his next living. Once upon a time, a Wibi's neighbor, Yu Karti, a street trader, was seized by police officer. Her baby in box also was seized and was burned by police officer.
In the middle of his live, Wibi go away to East Java without any permission from his parents. He studied in a university and graduate next several years. When he return to Yogyakarta, he met Yu Karti. He finally falling in love with Yu Karti but his parents was not agreed their love. Wibi help Yu Karti became a good women.
In 2000, Ngarto’s second novel was published with title Menolak Panggilan Pulang (Refused Call Home). The story of the novel based on his experience when he had Kuliah Kerja Nyata in remote south Kalimantan in 1993. The novel told the Dayak Bukit tribal living.
In the Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra, dan Studi Amerika (No. 9/Vol. 8/January 2002), Faculty of Letters, University of Sebelas Maret, Solo, Emilia Tetty Harjani made a comparative review on two literary works, namely The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and Menolak Panggilan Pulang by Ngarto Februana. The analysis on the works is conducted sociologically based on the selection criteria on that the two novels have the same theme as the common ground.
“The results show a conflict between sexual derisef.r the characters which are demonstrated through their sexual intercourses and religious morality. Both novels show that religion or belief does not only function as the guidance for right or wrong, but also functions as the social control. Moreover, the two works also show some moral-biased in relation with the social class of the characters,” Emilia said.
In 2002 Ngarto published his third novel, Tapol (political prisoner). The idea for Tapol originated in a student rally in Gadjah Mada University that Ngarto take a part in the protest movement in 1989 when he met four former political prisoners. One of the former prisoner, Suyono, told him about his experience in jail for ten years without trial in justice.
Ngarto began write Tapol in the late 1990's in Yogyakarta. It was completed in Jakarta in 2000, and published in 2002. Before was published in book form, Tapol was published by Jawa Post Surabaya-based daily newspaper.
The novel told about a former sergeant of Indonesian Air Force who accused take apart in Coup d'etat in 1965 known as G30S. Without trial in justice he was send to prison for ten years. After release from military prison he look for his family but none of them he found. And then he live as a both homeless and jobless.
Indonesian historian, Dr. Anhar Gonggong, said that Tapol is the novel based on historical facts. And it was organized by the writer very excellent. From that we can read a human tragedy that occur in inner tragic history of Indonesian people, that is G30S/PKI. Meanwhile, Bakdi Soemanto, professor at English Department Gadjah Mada University, said the novel was written by Ngarto used in-depth research. Ngarto Februana kept data that he got intactly.... Reading the novel we like looking at history but have in-dept dimension. . An Indonesian poet, Sitok Srengenge, said that very little Indonesia novel earnest, passionate, be infatuated, occupied to read. It is one of these. The writer show us the awareness how important language especially how we used it.
Reviewing on political power in Tapol, Yuyud Eka Asmawan, a student at Faculty of Letters Jember State University, 2007, said that in the Tapol, political aspec is very dominant so it very have been interested for political researcher in literature field.
In 2007, his forth novel, Harga Seorang Wanita (The Price for A Women) was published by Dastans Book, Jakarta.
Rieke Diah Pitaloka, one of the prominent Indonesian actress, reviewed the novel in the Jakarta-based radio station Voice of Human Rights. "When our authors very busy wrap up their stories with any glamours (but neglected some contents), otherwise the author of the novel neglected any kind of happinest form. He drive in depth in the poorest people in small village Gunungkidul district," Pitaloka said.
