Discover the Java of Konstantin Biebl

The first bilingual Czech-Indonesian book of poems and poems accompanied by the author’s contemporary photographs.

Almost 100 years ago, a young poet from a North Bohemian village set out on a journey that changed his life and Czech literature – to the distant island of Java in the Dutch East Indies, today’s Indonesia. He spent only a month there, yet gained lifelong inspiration for many beautiful feuilletons and poems, which are now available for the first time to Indonesian readers.

Konstantin Biebl (1898-1951) stayed in Java in Batavia (Jakarta) and Semarang, where he was hosted by the Czech physician Alois Kselík. He also visited Dieng, Borobudur, Prambanan, Yogyakarta, Surakarta, Surabaya and Cirebon on his travels. He took notes on the culture, tried to learn a few words of Malay and took photographs. He translated his impressions from this groundbreaking trip into poetry and prose, as well as photo essays.

Some of Biebel’s photographs, which accompany the texts, are published for the first time, as are reproductions of Biebel’s authentic notes. As such, the book is unique and we believe it will find its readers among poetry lovers and Indonesians alike.

The original idea of publishing a translation of Konstantin Biebl’s poems or feuilletons was born in 2020 during one of the many regular meetings of Czech compatriots in Jakarta. A lot of time has passed since then, and we are very happy to be able to write these lines today knowing that this collection is finished. The joint work has been successful.

For this publication, we have selected several poems and prose pieces relating to Biebl’s experiences in Java in December 1926. Most of his poems were published in book form in the collection With the Boat that Delivers Tea and Coffee in late 1927, a year after his return to the Czech Republic, except for one, Javanka, which was written in 1949, at the time of the Indonesian Revolution, and published in the collection Without Fear in 1951. His prose was published in various literary magazines during his lifetime, and he read some of it on the radio. After Biebel’s death, a selection of his poems appeared in the collection Journey to Java (1958). The text of Makanan Djawa was published only in Works after Biebel’s death. The selected photographs are from the Konstantin Biebl Collection at the Memorial of National Literature.

We thank you and wish you pleasant dreams of the Java that Konstantin Biebl knew when he made his journey to the Dutch East Indies, today’s Indonesia.

Title of the work: Konstantin Biebl Pojedu jednou na dalekou Jávu
Authors: Konstantin Biebl, Michala Adnyani, Zen Hae, Jan Mrázek
Chief Editor: Ing. Michal Wasserbauer, Ph.D.
Publishers: Czech.Ina Group s.r.o. ve spolupráci s Yayasan Bohemia Indonesia
Typesetting: Bohumil Hanus
Printed: GBW, Jl. Jemb. Baru UGM, Pogung Kidul, Sinduadi, Kec. Mlati, Kebupaten Sleman, Yogyakarta 55284
Year of first issue: 2022
ISNB: ISBN 978-80-11-02486-4 (bound) ISBN 978-80-11-02487-1 (pdf)

How can you order the book?

By filling in the details in the form below.
You will then receive payment details by e-mail, and after payment, the book will be sent to your address.

Printed book

Shipping within Indonesia is 60000 IDR / 89 CZK. We do not send them to the Czech Republic now.

E-Book

Your purchase will support the Panti Asuhan Ar Rachman Orphanage

For every purchase of this book, we donate 20% of the net profit to the Panti Asuhan Ar Rachman Orphanage.
Kemplek Masjid at Taqwa, Jalan Ahmad Yani No. 16, RT 01 RW 01, Kelurahan Bener, Kecamatan Wiradesa, Kebupaten Pekalongan

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