Pushkin signs two by Indonesian writer Kurniawan

Pushkin Press has signed the “breakthrough debut” Beauty is a Wound and an “explosive” second novel, Love and Vengance, by Indonesian writer Eka Kurniawan.

Pushkin acquired UK & Commonwealth rights (excluding Australia and New Zealand) to Beauty is a Wound and Love and Vengeance (working English title) from agent Jessica Craig at Pontas Literary & Film Agency.

Beauty is a Wound combines history, satire, family tragedy, legend, humour, and romance in its telling of the beautiful Indo rostitute, Dewi Ayu, and her four daughters who are beset by incest, murder and insanity. It is being translated into 27 languages.

Love and Vengeance, which is told in "short, cinematic bursts", is "gloriously pulpy, and populated by a range of characters from Java’s urban underworld," the publisher said. "It explores the themes of female agency in a violent male world dominated by petty criminals and a corrupt police state and presents Kurniawan’s most psychologically complex characters to date.”

Adam Freudenheim, publisher of Pushkin, said: “I'm thrilled to be publishing Eka Kurniawan in the UK.  It's particularly exciting to have an Indonesian writer on the Pushkin list, and I think British readers will be surprised and taken with both Beauty is a Wound and Love and Vengeance which are incredibly visceral and violent – reminiscent of a Quentin Tarantino film – yet also steeped in local culture and history.  Kurniawan is a highly original, witty and moving writer.”

Beauty is a Wound will be published in June with Love and Vengeance to follow in 2017. Both are translasted by Annie Tucker.