I Wayan Gobiah (born 1898) was a Balinese teacher and writer. He is best known for ''

Nemoe Karma ''Nemoe Karma'' (''Finding a Soulmate'') is a 1931 novel by I Wayan Gobiah. It is the first Balinese language novel. Plot ''Nemoe Karma'' opens with Pan Soedana, a widower who enjoys gambling and is deeply in debt. After his debt drives him to d ...

'', a 1931 novel which is considered the first Balinese-language novel.

Biography

Little has been uncovered about Gobiah's life, despite efforts by several researchers. However, it is known that Gobiah was born in approximately 1898 to a poor family in Panjer village, Badung Regency, Bali (now part of southern

Denpasar Denpasar (; Balinese: ᬤᬾᬦ᭄ᬧᬲᬃ) is the capital of Bali and the main gateway to the island. The city is also a hub for other cities in the Lesser Sunda Islands. With the rapid growth of the tourism industry in Bali, Denpasar has e ...

). Gobiah's father was a manservant to King Tjokorda at Denpasar Palace; the family received land on which to live from the palace in exchange for Gobiah's father's work. During the Dutch intervention in 1906, Gobiah was tasked to accompany Prince Ida Tjokardo Alit Ngurah to exile in nearby

Lombok Lombok is an island in West Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia. It forms part of the chain of the Lesser Sunda Islands, with the Lombok Strait separating it from Bali to the west and the Alas Strait between it and Sumbawa to the east. It is ...

. By order of the prince, Gobiah was schooled until the third year in a local school. After finishing his time there, he was sent to

Singaraja Singaraja is a port town in northern Bali, Indonesia, which serves as the seat of Buleleng Regency. The name is Indonesian for "Lion King" (from Tamil ''singam'' and ''raja''). It is just east of Lovina, and is also the centre of Buleleng Distric ...

to continue his studies in 1910. In Singaraja, he studied to be a teacher under Mas Nitisastro; Nitisastro, who also worked as a writer, used Balinese-language short stories he had written to interest his students and introduce them to the world of literature. By 1912 Gobiah was reportedly working as a teacher in Denpasar, at the age of 14. While working as a teacher, Gobiah developed an interest in theatre, including traditional dance and singing. By 1919 he was working as the principal of an elementary school in Mengwi, Badung. While in Mengwi, he married Si Luh Rupek; together the couple had one child. However, not long after the birth of their child, Si Luh Rupek fell ill and died. She was followed by their child several years later. Alone again, Gobiah began reading heavily. Through his school and contacts with Mas Nitisastro, he subscribed to

Balai Pustaka Balai Pustaka (; also spelled Balai Poestaka, both meaning "Bureau of Literature") is the state-owned publisher of Indonesia and publisher of major pieces of Indonesian literature such as ''Salah Asuhan'', ''Sitti Nurbaya'' and ''Layar Terkemb ...

-published periodicals such as '' Pandji Poestaka'' and ''Seri Poestaka''. He also read novels, such as ''

Sitti Nurbaya ''Sitti Nurbaya: Kasih Tak Sampai'' (''Sitti Nurbaya: Unrealized Love'', often abbreviated ''Sitti Nurbaya'' or ''Siti Nurbaya''; original spelling ''Sitti Noerbaja'') is an Indonesian literature, Indonesian novel by Marah Rusli. It was publish ...

'' (1922), published by the state-owned publishing house. According to Balinese literary scholars I Gusti Ngurah Bagus and I Ketut Ginarsa, this reading influenced his literary work. By 1922 Gobiah had begun rewriting traditional stories to be more accessible to his students; this was followed by translating works into Balinese. In 1923 he published an illustrated fable entitled ''Satua Lutung Mungil'' (''A Favourite Monkey''), written with

Balinese script The Balinese script, natively known as and , is an abugida used in the island of Bali, Indonesia, commonly for writing the Austronesian Balinese language, Old Javanese, and the liturgical language Sanskrit. With some modifications, the script ...

. This was published by Balai Pustaka. ''Satua Lutung Mungil'' was followed by a retelling of Rare Angon in ''geguritan'' form in 1926. Although Gobiah is known to have received money from Balai Pustaka for this work, it is unknown if it was ultimately published. Not long afterwards he remarried. Gobiah's seminal work, ''

'', was published by Balai Pustaka in 1931. The first Balinese language novel, it dealt with themes of forced marriage and love.

References

;Footnotes ;Bibliography * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gobiah, I Wayan Indonesian writers Indonesian schoolteachers Balinese people 1890s births Year of birth uncertain Year of death missing