Asians seek to break western literary stranglehold

UBUD, Indonesia, Oct 3 (Reuters) Indonesian author Vira Safitri is only 18, but already has two novels under her belt.

In a world where awareness of eastern culture often stops at Jackie Chan and Zhang Ziyi, a new breed of Asian writer is aiming to turn pages with writing inspired by distinctly Asian issues: such as the repression of women, the politics of the hijab, political dissidence and eastern mythology.

Asked how long it took to write her first novel, ''Secret Admirer'', a giggling Safitri said: ''Four days and three nights.'' ''And in another week's time I had a publisher,'' she added.

Her two books, which touch on issues such as romance and child abuse from a teenage perspective, have jointly sold 9,000 copies and she is hoping they will be translated from her native Indonesian to English to get wider coverage.

Safitri is one a growing breed of Asian authors writing in a uniquely eastern idiom who were at a writers' festival in the Balinese resort town of Ubud seeking to make themselves heard above the western literary clamour.

''Around two-third of the world's population lives in Asia while 90 per cent of the world's culture is western. That's a huge anomaly and anomalies have a habit of correcting themselves,'' Hong Kong-based writer Nury Vittachi told Reuters.

''It's already happening. There are literary festivals in Hong Hong, Ubud and Shanghai. Publishers are coming here. At one time there were no literary agents here, but now it's opening up,'' said the shaven-headed author who has written more than 20 books, including a successful series about a Feng Shui detective, C.F Wong.

With literary agents and publishers heading there, not surprisingly the Asian equivalent of the Booker prize is going to be launched this year.

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