Not A Virgin
Not A Virgin
English (translated by John H. McGlynn), ISBN13: 9786026978851, 9781912049462
The Lontar Foundation, 2017; Monsoon Books (UK), 2019
Synopsis:
In this coming-of-age novel four Indonesian high-school students seek to discover what their future will bring and find answers to their questions about sexuality. With characters ranging from cross-dressing hairdressers, drag queens, and rent boys to fanatic Muslims and low-life security personnel, the action of this tragicomedy moves between an Islamic boarding school and a gay bar in Jakarta, and in so doing illuminates the mindset and yearning of a new generation of Indonesians.
“Nuril Basri tells his story in a way that is at once light, straight-forward, and humorous. In this novel, he has created something that is both beautiful and moving, a tale that makes us willingly contemplate serious issues.”
Dee Lestari, best-selling Indonesian author.
“Aided by luminous translation, in Not a Virgin Nuril Basri gives us an unforgettable story of one man’s coming of age. He shows us how the complex interplay of desire, money, and belonging shapes how we understand ourselves and our place in society.”
Tom Boellstroff, Author of The Gay Archipelago: Sexuality and Nation in Indonesia.
“Nuril Basri accurately captures a segment of today’s youth culture. […] in fact, it is this constant complication of religion, youth culture, gender identity and expression, and sexuality, which makes Not a Virgin a fascinating read."
Dede Oetomo, author, human rights activist, and lecturer on gender and sexuality.
Malay Edition, Buku Fixi, 2012
Indonesian Edition, Amanah, 2017