The French translation of IWP alumna Ayu Utami's novel Saman, published by Flammarion on January 18th, has received much praise from French critics, literati and members of the Franco-Indonesian association Pasar Malam, boosting a newly found interest for Indonesian literature in France.

Saman was originally published in 1998, ten days after then Indonesian military and political leader Suharto stepped down from power. The book's fragmented literary style and subject matter were quite revolutionary during a time of suppression by the Indonesian government, yet it immediately won an enthusiastic following with more than 10,000 copies in print. The author is now finishing her third book which will deal directly with social issues.