interviews in English

[Audio] UWRF13: Reflections of Afghanistan

Ubud Writers and Readers Festival 2013 Reflections of Afghanistan : Ben Quilty, Agustinus Wibowo & Michael Vatikiotis Forgotten wars & forgotten people. Hear from two individuals who have made the journey to Afghanistan to record the lives of the people there through their images. What does it look like through their eyes? Indus, 15 October 2013 http://www.ubudwritersfestival.com/audio/reflections-of-afghanistan-ben-quilty-agustinus-wibowo-michael-vatikiotis/ Featuring: Ben Quilty Ben Quilty has been widely recognised for his artwork. Quilty’s paintings of his Holden Torana produced a sell-out show in 2002 and since then his work has been seen in many exhibits and art fairs. Some of his work can be seen at the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Quilty won the Doug Moran Portrait Prize in 2009 for his painting Jimmy Barnes, ‘There but for the Grace of God Go I, no.2′. In the same year Quilty was named runner up in the Archibald Prize for this portrait. He then won the Archibald Prize two years later for his portrait of fellow artist Margaret Olley. Find out more about Ben Quilty Michael Vatikiotis Michael Vatikiotis is a writer and novelist who has lived in Southeast Asia since 1987. He has [...]

December 5, 2013 // 0 Comments

[Audio] UWRF2013: Travellers

Ubud Writers and Readers Festival 2013 Travellers : Trinity, Don George, Tony Wheelers, Agustinus Wibowo & Lisa Dempster Travel – from the beginning of Lonely Planet to today, we track the journey of travel writing. Who are the travel writers these days, does what they say still have an impact or have we all become travel writers? Neka, 13 October 2014 http://www.ubudwritersfestival.com/audio/travellers-trinity-don-george-tony-wheelers-agustinus-wibowo-lisa-dempster/ Featuring: Agustinus Wibowo Agustinus Wibowo is an Indonesian travel writer whose travel experiences have taken him through Asia to the Middle East. He is fascinated by cultures and traditions and is curious about how the world works as one when it is constantly divided by history and culture. He prefers to travel overland when he can and once entered Tibet by pretending to be a Chinese citizen. He also volunteered to help victims of a natural disaster in Kashmir, before deciding on a career in photojournalism and taking on an assignment in war-torn Afghanistan. His first book, considered a masterpiece by many, was Selimut Debu (A Blanket of Dust) and chronicles his journey in Afghanistan. It was followed by Garis Batas (Borderlines: A Journey Through Central Asia), which examines issues of borderlines across ex-Soviet republics, including psychological [...]

December 5, 2013 // 0 Comments

Jakarta Globe (2013): Learning By Traveling

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/blogs/agustinus-wibowo-learning-by-traveling/ Agustinus Wibowo: Learning By Traveling By Annisa Dewi Yustita on 1:36 pm November 28, 2013. Category Blogs, Cultural Musings Tags: Indonesia author, travel Villagers traveling on the truck in Afghanistan western provinces. The central route of Afghanistan connecting Herat to Kabul is unpaved for about 900 km. (Agency Photo) Traveling is more than just spending time in a particular place. On a deeper level it enables us to learn many things from our destination, such as the language, culture and its people. Agustinus Wibowo is an Indonesian travel writer whose travel experiences have taken him through Asia and the Middle East. He said that he was fascinated by the world’s cultures and traditions and was curious about how the world works despite its historical and cultural divisions. Agustinus started his journey going around Asia with just US$2,000 from his savings during his study at Tshinghua University in Beijing, China. When he ran out of money, he stayed for a while with local people and worked with them to collect money and continued his journey again. “I loved traveling from when I was a student in China. I used to be a homeboy and scared of going around [...]

November 28, 2013 // 1 Comment

Travel and Escape (2013): Are Travel Writers Obsolete?

http://www.travelandescape.ca/2013/11/are-travel-writers-obsolete/ Not too long ago, travellers communicated with home via letters and the beloved blue-paper aerogram. Nowadays we text, email and update social media from even some of the farthest reaches of the world. It’s easy to tell our stories and the internet is flooded with blogs, Facebook updates and reviews from travellers worldwide. With this new information-sharing culture, are traditional travel writers and their stories going to become obsolete?This was the question asked of travel writing experts—Tony Wheeler, founder of Lonely Planet, Don George, editor of National Geographic Traveller, and Agustinus Wibowo, a leading Indonesian travel writer—at the 2013 Ubud Writers and Readers Festival in Bali. Here are their responses:Credit: Victoria Watts Tony Wheeler: I don’t think travel writers will become obsolete. People are still going to want information in a trusted fashion. However, the way we get that information is changing. We read as many words as we ever did, we just don’t always read them on paper—we read them on screen, on our phones and through the internet. But we still read those words, so the demand for information is still there. Agustinus Wibowo: The world is constantly changing, the way we travel is changing [...]

November 27, 2013 // 0 Comments

National Geographic (2013): Literary Magic in Bali

http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2013/11/12/literary-magic-in-bali/ Literary Magic in Bali Posted by Don George of National Geographic Traveler in Travel with Heart on November 12, 2013 Last month I had the opportunity to participate for the second year in a row in the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival on the Indonesian island of Bali. At the six-day festival, I taught two travel writing workshops, spoke on a panel about the evolution of the genre, and hosted a luncheon conversation with the co-founders of Lonely Planet, Maureen and Tony Wheeler. Celebrating its tenth anniversary, this year’s fest was the biggest gathering yet, with more than 200 authors, musicians, and performers from more than 20 countries participating, and many hundreds of literature-lovers from around the Pacific Rim, Southeast Asia, and beyond attending. As with last year, I was exhilarated to encounter in panels and dinners and performances acclaimed and groundbreaking journalists, novelists, poets, and nonfiction writers from Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Australia, Egypt, Syria, Germany, France, Ireland, and England, as well as bright-eyed, book-hugging readers inspired by what these writers create. One of the festival’s highlights was the aforementioned travel writing panel, facilitated by Lisa Dempster, director of the Melbourne Writers Festival. [...]

November 12, 2013 // 0 Comments

Jakarta Post (2013): What Writers Think About Travel Writing

http://www.jakpost.travel/news/what-writers-think-about-travel-writing-SDjzu7QgZ6JLP83q.html What writers think about travel writing By Raditya Margi, The Jakarta Post, Ubud | Oct 24, 2013 The Ubud Writers & Readers Festival (UMRF) 2013 in Bali brought several renowned travel writers such as Tony Wheeler, the founder of Lonely Planet publications, and Don George, who writes for many top-tier travel media like National Geographic Traveler. The two, along with Indonesian travel writers and book authors Trinity and Agustinus Wibowo, appeared on a panel discussion titled “The Traveler”, one of 75 main sessions on the UWRF. As the format becomes increasingly popular, masters such as Wheeler and George offered insights into what makes good travel writing. It is more than just a whimsical description of a faraway place. Wheeler said the content must be accurate, while Agustinus said that it must always be honest non-fiction. “Travel writing is fundamentally about a place – it’s about illuminating a place,” said George to The Jakarta Post Travel on the sidelines of the main panel session. According to George, there are two types of travel writing: the guidebook style and storytelling. “Guidebook writing is about giving central information – like where to stay and where to eat; and then there’s [...]

October 24, 2013 // 0 Comments

Speak Without Interruption (2013): Give Afghanistan back to the Afghans

http://www.speakwithoutinterruption.com/site/2013/10/ubud-encounters-give-afghanistan-back-to-the-afghans/ October 20, 2013 Ubud encounters: Give Afghanistan back to the Afghans Posted by Muhammad Cohen in: Art, Asia, Books, China, Faith, Foreign Affairs, Immigration, Islam, Journalism, Military, Religion, Sociology, Terrorism, Travel, War, Women’s Rights, World Issues Australian painter Ben Quilty and Indonesian writer Agustinus Wibowo told the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival in Bali how they each reached Afghanistan by different routes for different reasons. But following their stays, they both also reached the same conclusion: after a dozen years and thousands of casualties, it’s time for Afghanistan to solve its problems without foreign help. Wibowo came to Afghanistan for the first time as a curious and footloose traveler. In Afghanistan as well as Pakistan, Wibowo said that since he came from Indonesia, people assumed he was Muslim. Telling them he was an ethic Chinese raised in the Buddhist tradition would either provoke suspicion or pointless debate, including attempts to convert him. “But I found the perfect answer,” Wibowo revealed. “When people asked if I was Muslim, I’d say, ‘Insy’allah’ [God willing].” Later, Wibowo said he found an even better answer from Afghan imam. “He told me he was a member of the highest religion of all: humanity.” Wibowo [...]

October 20, 2013 // 1 Comment

Tempo (2013): Speaking about Poetry and Photography (Makassar International Writers Festival 2013)

http://en.tempo.co/read/news/2013/06/26/114491501/Speaking-about-Poetry-and-Photography Speaking about Poetry and Photography Wednesday, 26 June, 2013 | 22:13 WIB TEMPO.CO, Makassar – Agustinus Wibowo, the writer of three travel books, said, “As promoted by an airline ad, everyone can fly now. Yet not everyone can understand the meaning of a journey.” Agus put forth his statement during a discussion at the Makassar International Writers Festival on June 25, 2013. He was the speaker for the first session on the first day of the festival. He spoke about the relationship between poetry and photography. “Many things can be poetic and touching from a journey, just as long as we can find the meaning,” said the author of the books Titik Nol, Selimut Debu, and Garis Batas. Agus, who has traveled to numerous countries in Central Asia, exhibited some pictures as an example. He said trips that are rushed and target-oriented would not have any meaning. Only journeys that are deeply observed and understood can create poetic portrayals in the mind. One of the photos Agus displayed was a picture of a muscle man, a participant of the Master of Afghanistan. “When a person first arrives in Afghanistan, they will take pictures of the war, opium fields, and others. However, if they [...]

June 26, 2013 // 0 Comments

Whiteboard Journal (2013): Journeys Through The Viewfinder

http://whiteboardjournal.com/focus/6072/journeys-through-the-viewfinder-2/ 29 April 2013 Whiteboard Journal Journeys Through The Viewfinder The Photographic Tales of Two Indonesian Travellers They say a photograph is worth a thousand words, but Agustinus Wibowo and Dave Lumenta, two individuals who have travelled extensively, prove that the value of photographs go beyond the number of words they are able to represent. Featuring the works of these prominent figures, this article highlights the connection between photography and travelling. Author Dwiputri Pertiwi · Photo/Illustration Agustinus Wibowo and Dave Lumenta 04/29/13 · 22,329 Views We are perhaps all too familiar with the phrase, “seeing is believing.” It is the perfect line to start a philosophical discussion, but it is just as popular among advertising agencies – haven’t we become acquainted with several variations of the concept? Most of us must see to confirm the realness of an object, even though there are times when our minds play vicious tricks on us. After all, who hasn’t heard stories of people claiming to see large bodies of water in the middle of a desert? Tom Chatfield wrote in his essay on the increasingly intensified connection between humans and gadgets, that our greatest fear is that “the world around us is a [...]

April 29, 2013 // 0 Comments

Surabaya Highlight (2013): How Much Are You Willing to Let Go?

19 April 2013 Surabaya Highlight http://surabayahighlight.com/highlights-of-the-week/newcomers-in-town/third-cultured/how-much-are-you-willing-to-let-go How Much Are You Willing to Let Go? Surabaya – “There’s no end to traveling, it is all about how well we understand places that we have visited,” an afternoon talk during lunch with Agustinus Wibowo is such an eye opener for lucky Surabaya Highlight. Agustinus Wibowo is a travel writer and freelance journalist that was born and raised in Lumajang, East Java. In his short visit to Surabaya, he agreed to meet us and share his inspiring life to Surabaya Highlight’s readers. Coming from a small town of Lumajang, Agus had a dream to someday see the world outside his hometown. “Children would run around screaming to a plane passing by. I always watch Dunia Dalam Berita, because that was the only chance I had to see the world since there was no internet or other programs,” his vivid explanation made us picturing how it was back then when Agus was a child. Such limitation did not conquer his passion on the outside world because at his fifth grade of elementary school, he started exchanging letters to pen pal around the world. Amazingly, in his early age he made friends with 70 [...]

April 19, 2013 // 0 Comments

Jakarta Globe (2013): Detailing a Nomad’s Return to Point Zero

4 April 2013 http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/features/detailing-a-nomads-return-to-point-zero/583242/ Detailing a Nomad’s Return to Point Zero By Lisa Siregar on 3:24 pm April 4, 2013. Category Features, Travel Travel writer Agustinus Wibowo has walked many kilometers and dangerous turns during adventures in Afghanistan and across Asia — a long way from his childhood days in Lumajang, East Java, when he used to chase passing aircraft. After years away from his family, Agustinus eventually returned home to read the stories he had written about his experiences to his ill, bedridden mother. These previously unpublished tales of his journeys to Nepal, India and Pakistan, as well as the conversations with his mother in her final days, are the main themes of his new book, “Titik Nol” (“The Zero Point”, or “Ground Zero”). “To lose my mother is the worst thing that happened to me in my life,” Agustinus said at the launch of his book in Jakarta. “But I keep writing, because it is a spiritual healing for me.” “Titik Nol” is Agustinus’s third travel book. He has already published “Selimut Debu” (“Blankets of Dust”) in 2010 and “Garis Batas” (“Borderlines”) in 2011. For Agustinus, the zero point means self-discovery, which begins when one returns home. The [...]

April 4, 2013 // 0 Comments

Latitude.nu (2011): ‘Traveling is about Losing your Ego’

December 29, 2011 http://latitudes.nu/indonesian-travel-writer-photographer-agustinus-wibowo/ Indonesian Travel Writer & Photographer Agustinus Wibowo: ‘Traveling is about Losing your Ego’ By: Yvette Benningshof Passing borderlines is almost a daily routine for Agustinus Wibowo. The travel writer and photographer from Indonesia picked up his backpack at the age of 19 and started to travel throughout Central Asia. He has lived in Afghanistan for three years as a photojournalist and has written two bestsellers books about his borderless travels. Wibowo’s current latitude: Beijing, China. Agustinus Wibowo (30) left his village Lumajang in East-Java, Indonesia in 2000 to study Computer Science in Beijing. From there he started his travels to Mongolia where he got robbed on the first day. That didn’t hold him back to travel to even more ‘dangerous’ countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan in 2003. As a true budget backpacker he took off with only 300 US dollars. ‘I traveled by the cheapest train in China, 70 hours on a hard seat. Then by public transport and hitchhiking trucks in Pakistan. Crossing the border with Afghanistan I used horses and donkeys or just walked my way. I also stayed with local people, that’s why it’s so important to learn the local languages. The [...]

December 29, 2011 // 0 Comments

Whiteboard Journal (2011): Interview with Agustinus Wibowo

http://whiteboardjournal.com/features/roundtable/interview-with-agustinus-wibowo.html http://whiteboardjournal.com/old/features/roundtable/interview-with-agustinus-wibowo.html Forming a passion for traveling, Agustinus Wibowo has spent most of his years in a foreign country. Referred as a world backpacker, Agustinus Wibowo whose profession is as a journalist, has taken the road less traveled by going to the depths of China, Mongolia, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Iran to the unfamiliar countries of Central Asia. His contemplative nature and literary adeptness has pushed him to compile his travel stories in a publication called ‘Selimut Debu’ in 2010, and ‘Garis Batas’ recently in 2011. Whiteboard Journal had a chance to learn more of his purpose of travels and the turnings points that have defined him as a word traveler. W: How did everything start? What initially drew you to be so engulfed in traveling? Everything started from childhood, when my dad introduced me to philately. I collected stamps from almost all countries, and stamps were my “window” to the world. I always dreamed to visit the countries of which stamps I have collected. I also loved geography, wanted to learn different languages and cultures. As I was raised in a small town, everything seemed just merely a dream. But then when the chance came, I went to Beijing as [...]

June 20, 2011 // 0 Comments

Weekender (2007): The Traveler’s Tale

August 2007 Jakarta Post Weekender The Traveler’s Tale What does travel really mean to us – is it about the adventure and discovery, or just being able to say that we have been there and done that? Yunetta Anggiamurni gives her perspective. “And at night I like to love to listen to the stars. It is like 500 hundred million little bells.” This was how Antoine de Saint-Exupéry expressed his adoration of a beautiful starlit night in his masterpiece, Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince). Although it was supposed to be a book for children, the work has become one that adults should read because the writer’s message is clear: Are you an open-minded person? Above all, de Saint-Exupéry tried to encourage readers to do one important thing: travel. Indeed, we view traveling as the quest for freedom, of choosing the place we want to go, of having the luxury of not worrying about daily work obligations, of satisfying our thirst for new experiences, in visiting places and meeting new people. But for most of us, traveling also requires time, money and delicate negotiations with friends, family, children, boyfriends, girlfriends and so forth. In short, no room for individual needs. [...]

August 23, 2007 // 0 Comments

The Jakarta Post (2007): Yustinus Wibowo—Going around the world on a shoestring

21 June 2007 The Jakarta Post People http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2007/06/21/yustinus-wibowo-going-around-world-shoestring.html Yustinus Wibowo Going around the world on a shoestring Maggie Tiojakin, Contributor, Jakarta A hundred and fifty years ago, when so much of the world was still unknown to the majority of the earth’s inhabitants, exploring uncharted lands and seas was available only to a privileged few. Today, with the help of technology, it isn’t uncommon for one to travel the world in twenty-four hours by plane, or twenty-four seconds with the click of a mouse. However, there are others who cling onto the exotic dream of being an explorer crossing multiple frontiers. Meet Agustinus Wibowo. Born in Lumajang, East Java, on Aug. 8, 1981, the 26-year-old has been embarking on an around-the-world journey since July 28, 2005, as a backpacker with only US$2,000 in his pocket — the amount of money he managed to save while studying and working part-time in Beijing, China. So far, the former student of Tsinghua University has visited more than a dozen countries in Asia — far-flung lands which others have probably only heard of in the news such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Nepal, India, Tibet, Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia [...]

June 21, 2007 // 5 Comments