Drought is a celebration of life and human commitment. The hero decides to move to one of Indonesia’s outer islands, in a government-run program called “transmigration”, to start a new life as a farmer. His near-failed effort takes him to meet various inspired madmen—bureaucrats, bandits, psychiatrists, religious teachers, and a beautiful woman known only as the V.I.P. The combination of these characters will make us question what is considered “normal” in a conventional society. The book is a lyrical testimony of the strength and unpredictability of human character.
Iwan Simatupang (Author)
Iwan Simatupang studied anthropology and drama at Leiden University in the Netherlands and philosophy at the Sorbonne, France. He then returned to Indonesia and married a Dutch pianist. He published The Redness of Red (1968), The Pilgrim (1969), and Drought (1972). The Redness of Red won a national literary award in 1970 and The Pilgrim was awarded the First ASEAN Literary Award in 1977. Iwan Simatupang also wrote a number of poetry, short stories, and plays—-all known for their avant-garde form. He was also a journalist, and his columns frequently focus on Indonesia’s marginalized communities.
