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Workshop part 2: Listening to Moluccan authors.
The online workshop about ‘The Children's Book’ part 2 was held on Saturday at 9 in the morning. We received the texts on Thursday. Jan was unstoppable, he made one illustration after the other. I only got going on Friday. How should I prepare a workshop on writing? Telling them about the Dutch children’s book in general was easy. Talking about what I’ve done with my own book was also a breeze.
But should I give a workshop about writing in Ambong Malay? The words of my parents, the sounds and colours that they have added to my language world, are engraved in my DNA. It has essentially shaped me. But no matter how great my passion for Malay languages and cultures may be, my frame of reference is fed daily with Dutch and English and the cultural views that go with it.
Some think in words, see words, when they close their eyes. My thoughts are wordless, don't need commas, periods and exclamation points. Shapes, sounds, colours, accompanied by emotions sometimes, move as a wave over a universal pallet in my head. No one can see what’s going on in your head, how can anyone put into words what you think? Can anyone have an opinion about your thoughts? Is anyone else allowed to have an opinion about that anyway? The freebooter in me says: “Write whatever you want to write, you be you”. The teacher in me whispers that writing techniques could help bring 5-dimensional thoughts to life on two-dimensional paper.
So I facetimed Thilma Lewerisa, my contact person for the writers group ‘Timur Menulis’ to discuss the best approach with her. "We all write, some do it longer and more often than others. You all speak Ambong Malay, probably better than I do, so who am I to give a workshop on writing in Ambong Malay? I am a Westerner. You are the ones, who will be writing books in Ambong Malay. The East writes its own stories in its own language." Thilma parries: "Auntie Lise, Thilma also happens to be my niece, your Ambong Malay is good, even though you were born in the Netherlands."
My ego is flattered. And yes they were taught to only speak and write Indonesian in school, but I’m very well aware that I would have to go into hiding in the Moluccan mountains for another year or 2 to be able to fully master Ambong Malay down to the last detail, as a native speaker. That day will come. Meanwhile there are other ways to delve into my soul language, through studying, having long distance conversations and through writing.
We decided to mainly listen to each other and have open conversations about the writing and illustrations. That morning started brightly, one after the other hesitant writer read their own story, conjuring up a sound image and landscape that transported me to the other side of the world. Sometimes the rain was pouring down and other times I was standing with my feet in the water under a clear blue sky. Then again I was just absorbed in myself, playing with my brother. And the next moment my mother wiped my bloody nose.
Moving around in the other’s mind is the power of the writer. While writing has gained a foothold in the Moluccas, it appears that illustrating has not taken off yet. Only one participant had illustrations for her story. Jans' depiction of the stories using AI was enthusiastically received. Sometimes a picture says more than a thousand words.
With 'Parau Gaba-Gaba', a canoe made of leaves, Aswal Safain drew attention to a traditional children's game and the family dynamics of a fatherless family.
Firda Umarella lyrically sketched a village scene about a boy who likes to play football.
Mia Bura wrote in clear Indonesian prose, why it's better to eat vegetables and had striking coloured pencil illustrations by Eyreine Sout.
Lommie Ephing wrote in verse about endless rainstorms and wet clothes that also stayed wet indoors.
Thilma Lewerisa wrote fluently about the fun experienced at the traditional fishing event 'Sasi Lompa'.
Two other participants were unable to submit their stories in time. Unfortunately, we have not been able to hear or discuss them. Komunitas Timur Menulis picks up the thread after the Workshop with these participants.
Helen Rijoli wrote a vivid story about two boys who prepared the traditional dish 'colo-colo' together with their mother.
Erny Makassar was the only one to come up with a different story form, a legend in Indonesian: Two boys learned the hard way that it is important to appreciate what you have.
Local wisdom, traditions were incorporated into all the stories. All but two of the stories were written in Ambong Malay. To be able to write well in Ambong Malay, you need to listen to stories in Ambong Malay and read Ambong Malay books. At the moment, we can only listen to stories, there are no books in Ambong Malay available yet. But they will be there soon, I can almost smell them. We are at the cradle of a new writing culture, writers writing in Ambon Malay. That is an exiting, adventurous, fascinating thought. Wai Ihu is glad to have met the writers group ‘Timur Menulis’. The workshops were a good kick-off for a productive collaboration.
By Lise Yian Sui de Fretes, 2 mei ‘24
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