Whither Asean literature? Still stuck in the colonial days, it seems

The 4th Asean Literary Festival was held in Jakarta’s Old City this year to reach out to people from all walks of life. — Photos: RUMAIZAH ABU BAKAR

Asean writers are not clearly perceived on the world literature scene. They have yet to develop their own common identity or brand as they adapt to post-colonialism.

Writers in this region are still bound by European sources rather than looking to their own: Malaysian writers are influenced by the British, Indonesian by the Dutch, and Cambodian and Vietnamese by the French.