Laksmi Pamuntjak

(Indonesia, 1971) is working on her first novel, The Blue Widow, about the island of Buru, during the Suharto regime a penal settlement where thousands of alleged communists were kept without any form of trial. Pamuntjak, one of the few Indonesian writers to publish in English, made her breakthrough internationally in 2005 with her first volume of poetry, Ellipsis, proclaimed by the Herald UK as one of the best books of the year. Her latest volume, The Anagram, appeared in 2007. In addition to poetry Pamuntjak writes short stories. Recurring themes in her often sensual work are identity and tolerance, food as metaphor for culture, complex love relationships and the relationship between mother and daughter. Pamuntjak has also published articles on art, literature, classical music, politics, film and food in the weekly Tempo and The Jakarta Post, among others. Early 2008 she launched the gastronomical guide Jakarta Good Food Guide 2008-2009, which was well-received.