The Wretched Under The Rainbow

This book discusses the works and ideas of Mochtar Lubis (1922-2004), a prominent literary author, journalist and intellectual in post-war Indonesia. Mochtar was known for his courage in speaking up against the establishment which earned him accolades such as Ramon Magsaysay Award and World Freedom Press Heroes.

While this book primarily focuses on Mochtar’s literary works, it embarks on a multidisciplinary approach employing both literary study as well as perspectives from critical social sciences in analysing his fictive and discursive works to critically appraise his thought, struggles and vision for his nation, especially on the pressing issues of human liberation and social justice.

As thought and values do not emerge in a vacuum, this book also attempts to locate Mochtar’s intellectual milieu within the intellectuals and intelligentsia of his time, making it a part of a larger attempt to study Malay-Indonesian intellectuals and its history. A book for everyone who is thinking about the past, the present and the future of their nation in this region.