UNS – The Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB) at Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta held another public lecture on literature on Wednesday (25/9/2024) in the Seminar Room of FIB UNS. The event, titled “Sastra dan Film 2024” (Literature and Film 2024), featured Dr. William Bradley Horton from Akita University, Japan, as the guest speaker.

Head of the Indonesian Literature Study Program at FIB UNS, Dr. Asep Yudha Wirajaya, M.A., stated that the public lecture aimed to broaden students’ knowledge and understanding of Indonesian literature.

“Apart from expanding our insights into literature, this event also shows that studying literature opens the door to interacting with people from various backgrounds,” Dr. Asep said in his opening remarks.

In his presentation, Dr. William shared his experiences and knowledge of Indonesian literature, particularly during the Japanese occupation period in Indonesia.

“Literature developed rapidly during this era. Various literary forms such as serialized stories, films, songs, and, most notably, newspapers featuring literary works flourished at that time,” he explained.

He further elaborated that literature serves as a reflection of the lives of its creators. Similarly, during the Japanese occupation, literary works with themes of struggle depicted the reality of life during that time.

“Literature often contained elements of resistance because people were closely connected to that reality. Different societal events and even absurdities were captured in these writings,” he added.

During this period, newspapers played a crucial role in the development of literature, serving as a primary medium for publishing literary works. Many literary pieces were first published in newspapers before being compiled into books.

“Literature is not just a representation of the lives of its creators. It also serves specific purposes that the authors wish to convey, as seen in literature from the Japanese occupation era, which portrayed vivid depictions of the time,” Dr. William concluded.

HUMAS UNS