Trisnojuwono was an Indonesian author, journalist and former revolutionary and military man born in Yogyakarta, 12 November 1925. He died in

Bandung Bandung ( su, ᮘᮔ᮪ᮓᮥᮀ, Bandung, ; ) is the capital city of the Indonesian province of West Java. It has a population of 2,452,943 within its city limits according to the official estimates as at mid 2021, making it the fourth most ...

, 29 October 1996. Much of his literary work is based on his experiences as ''Pemuda'' during the Indonesian National Revolution and includes many unique eye witness accounts of this chaotic and violent period.

Military career

During the Indonesian National Revolution he became a member of the revolutionary armed forces (Pasukan 40, Tentara Rakyat Mataram) in Jogjakarta, 1946. Student Corps in

Magelang Magelang () is one of six cities in Central Java that are administratively independent of the regencies in which they lie geographically. Each of these cities is governed by a mayor rather than a ''bupati''. Magelang city covers an area of 18. ...

and Jombang in 1947-1948, and finally the famous

Siliwangi Siliwangi may refer to various people and institutions in the past and present of West Java, Indonesia: * King Siliwangi (1482), eponymous ruler of Pajajaran Kingdom, a fifteenth century kingdom in West Java, centered in modern Bogor * Siliwangi D ...

Division of the newly established Indonesian armed forces ( TNI) in 1950-1953. In the revolutionary period, he actively took part in the fighting in

Central Java Central Java ( id, Jawa Tengah) is a province of Indonesia, located in the middle of the island of Java. Its administrative capital is Semarang. It is bordered by West Java in the west, the Indian Ocean and the Special Region of Yogyakarta in t ...

, West Java and East Java. In 1949 he was captured by the Dutch army and imprisoned in Ambarawa for 10 months, until he managed to escape. It was from his friendship with fellow

POW A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war ...

Captain Nusyirwan Adil Hamzah during his time in Ambarawa that he first learned to enjoy poetry and literature. In 1950 he officially joined the Indonesian Army (TNI) and served with the Special Forces (RPKAD), Combat Intelligence, and with the Air Force as a licensed paratrooper (AURI).

Literary career

After an eventful military career he became the editor of 'Cinta' in 1955, editor of 'Pikiran Rakyat' and Director of PT Granesia Publishers in Bandung. His short stories began appearing in literary magazines as off 1955. His first book 'Men and Munitions' is a collection of short stories published in 1957, for which he was awarded the national literary prize BMKN of 1957-1958. His second collection of short stories is titled 'Sea Wind' (1958) followed by 'In The Middle of War' (1961) and 'Tales of the Revolution' (1965). One of the short stories from his book 'Men and Munitions' entitled: 'Barbed Wire Fence' was made into a movie by Asrul Sani, but did not get wide circulation due to opposition from the PAPFIAS (Action committee with communist roots and ties to boycott films) and

Lekra The Lembaga Kebudajaan Rakjat (Enhanced Indonesian Spelling System, EYD: Lembaga Kebudayaan Rakyat, often abbreviated Lekra; meaning Institute for the People's Culture) was a very prolific literary and social movement associated with the Indonesian ...

. He then reworked the story into a novel with the same title (1961), for which he was awarded the literary 'Yamin Prize'. He continued writing novels 'Biarkanlah Tjahaja Matahari Membersihkanku Dahulu' in 1966, 'Surat-Surat Cinta' (Love Letters) in 1968, 'Peristiwa-Peristiwa Ibukota Pendudukan' in 1970, 'Petualangan' (Adventurers) in 1981. An unfinished novel is named 'Ambarawa'. Both the novels and short stories of his literary works occupy a unique place in Indonesian literature as he also wrote about the personal lives of the military outside of the revolution. In books such as 'Di Medan Perang' (In the Middle of War) he also shows the less than glorious aspects of the Indonesian revolution, when he describes atrocities such as the rape and murder of Indo-European women during the chaotic Bersiap period.

''"Someone may claim that it's a bad story, bad and embarrassing. But if it's said without reason and arguments, then it may be ignored."'', Trisnojuwono.Full original text: ''"Bagaimanapun juga sifatnya, ulasan-ulasan itu selalu bisa berguna, kecuali ulasan yang hanya berdasarkan kebencian yang meluap, tanpa alasan yang kena. Misalnya ada seseorang yang menyatakan bahwa ceritaku buruk, buruk sekali dan memalukan. Kalau hal itu dikatakan tanpa alasan-alasan, maka tidak perlu diacuhkan."'' See online ref

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References

Notes

Bibliography

* Mahayana, M.S., Sofyan, O., Dian A. ''Ringkasan dan ulasan novel Indonesia modern.'' (Publisher: Grasindo, 2007) * Trisnojuwono ''Dimedan perang: dan tjerita-tjerita lain.'' (Publisher: Nusantara, 1962)

External links