Writers Acep, Sakai win Khatulistiwa award

Khatulistiwa Literary Award founder Richard Oh (center) congratulates Farida Susanti, winner of this year's Khatulistiwa award for the Best Young Writer category, in Dan Hujan pun Berhenti (And the rain stops) on Friday night.

The best poet category award went to Acep Zamzam Noer (left) for his most outstanding work, Menjadi Penyair Lagi (Being a Poet Again).

Gus tf Sakai, writer of Perantau (Migrant), and winner of the best prose category, was absent from the ceremony.

The award presentation took place at Plaza Senayan, Jakarta.

This year, the prestigious literary award offered generous cash prizes of Rp 100 million (about US$11,000) for the prose and poetry categories and Rp 25 million for the young writer category.

Acep, 47, received a fellowship from the Italian government to live and work in Perugia between 1991 and 1993.

He has since been a leading literary figure in his home town of Tasikmalaya, West Java.

Gus tf Sakai, 42, is a prolific short story writer from West Sumatra. He has won acclaimed awards including Lontar Literary Award (2001) and Pusat Bahasa Literary Award (2002).

Farida has been making a name for herself among readers of teen literature. She won a short story competition held by Kawanku teen magazine in 2006.

Sumber : The Jakarta Post