Jakarta, UNESCO Guest City at the Granada Book Fair 2026. Feby Indirani and Soe Tjen Marching in conversation with Marina Tapia
Jakarta’s activities as UNESCO Guest City at the Granada Book Fair are made possible thanks to the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia and Jakarta UNESCO City of Literature, in collaboration with Granada UNESCO City of Literature and the Granada Book Fair.
Following their participation in the opening ceremony of the Book Fair on 23 April at the City Hall courtyard, the Jakarta delegation will present two events featuring leading Indonesian authors: Eka Kurniawan (24 April), and Feby Indirani and Soe Tjen Marching (25 April).
→ Saturday 25 April, 8:30 pm
Jakarta, UNESCO Guest City / Contemporary Indonesian Literature / Meeting with Feby INDIRANI and Soe TJEN MARCHING / Presented and moderated by Marina TAPIA / Simultaneous English–Spanish interpretation by Óscar JIMÉNEZ / Venue: Sala Zaida. (Organised in collaboration with Jakarta UNESCO City of Literature and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia).
Febi Indirani
Feby Indirani is an Indonesian author, essayist, and public intellectual who pioneered “Magical Islamism,” a subversive literary landscape where religious orthodoxy meets the surreal with piercing wit. Her narratives—celebrated by European critics for a “tragic laughter” reminiscent of Kafka and Bataille—explore the delicate tensions between faith and freedom through a lens of profound irony.
Her seminal collection, Not Virgin Mary, has become a nomadic force in contemporary fiction. Following its acclaimed Italian debut (Add Editore), her stories have been translated into German and Japanese, with forthcoming editions in Thailand and Taiwan. The cinematic potency of her prose is evident in an award-winning short film and a feature-length adaptation.
A seasoned presence at global forums such as the Frankfurt Book Fair, Indirani is currently building bridges between her Global South perspective and the Spanish-speaking world, offering a contemporary resonance that echoes the mystical spirit often associated with Mediterranean cultural heritage.
Soe Tjen Marching
Soe Tjen Marching is an Indonesian writer, academic, activist, and avant-garde composer whose work spans literature, music, and critical inquiry. She teaches in the Department of Languages and Cultures at SOAS, University of London, and has published more than ten books across genres. Her fiction and poetry have received recognition from Monash University and the Ballarat City Council in Australia, while her compositions earned awards in the National Competition for Indonesian Contemporary Composers (1998) and the International Competition for Avant-Garde Composers in Singapore (2010). Her work often explores gender, ideology, and personal memory, blending philosophical reflection with narrative experimentation and a commitment to intellectual freedom and social critique.
Marina Tapia
Marina Tapia (Valparaíso, Chile, 1975) is a poet, visual artist, and cultural communicator. She has lived in Spain since 2000 and in Granada since 2013.
She is the author of the poetry collections 50 Mujeres desnudas (Amargord), El relámpago en la habitación (Nazarí), Marjales de interior (Aguaclara), Jardín imposible (Baena City Council), El deleite (Vélez-Málaga City Council), Corteza (El Envés), Un kilim de palabras (El sastre de Apollinaire), Bosque y silencio (Aguilar de Campoo City Council), Islario (Amargord), Piedra que mengua (Lodosa City Council), and Mixtura. Antología personal (Averso, 2025).
She coordinated El pájaro azul. Homenaje a Rubén Darío (Artificios). Her poems have been included in around thirty anthologies. She has received numerous awards in both writing and painting.
She coordinated the programme Compartir poesía at the Entredós Foundation in Madrid. She currently leads creative writing workshops for the municipalities of La Zubia and Huétor Vega, and writes reviews and articles for various digital media outlets.
