PERGULATAN PENULIS LOMBOK DI GELANGGANG KESASTRAAN INDONESIA MUTAKHIR
Mat Dra'i, Prof. Dr. Faruk, S.U.
2025 | Tesis | S2 Sastra
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Over the past decade, the production and distribution of literary works by Lombok-based writers has seen a massive increase, spanning genres such as poetry, short stories, novels, and literary essays. Some writers have begun to gain national visibility, marked by their involvement in leading publishing networks, mass media, and literary channels. Some writers have also begun to achieve symbolic legitimacy, including through awards and selection as emerging writers in various prestigious literary festivals. From a previously relatively quiet period, a significant surge in literary production has emerged. This raises questions about the cultural strategies employed by these writers. To address this, Pierre Bourdieu's theory of the arena of cultural production serves as the most relevant analytical framework. This study aims to unravel the struggles of Lombok writers in the contemporary Indonesian literary arena through two questions: 1) how Lombok writers' strategies achieve legitimacy in the contemporary Indonesian literary arena, and 2) why these strategies are effective. The findings of this study indicate that Lombok writers' strategies for gaining legitimacy in the contemporary Indonesian literary arena are pursued in three ways. First, they optimize local cultural capital as symbolic capital. Locality in the works of Lombok writers is not presented merely as a 'stick-on' in the form of a cultural setting or ornament, but rather becomes an organically integrated part of the writer's aesthetic vision. Second, they join and utilize literary communities as an accumulation of social capital. They utilize this collective space to build relationships, strengthen legitimacy, and expand the reach of their work in the national literary realm. Third, they participate in literary competitions and festivals at the local, national, and international levels. Competitive events such as the Kusala Sastra Khatulistiwa, the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, and the Makassar International Writers Festival serve as mechanisms for distributing recognition or legitimacy within the literary arena, while simultaneously strengthening the position of writers, in this case Lombok writers, before the public and national institutions. The success or effectiveness of this legitimacy-gaining strategy is influenced, among other things, by the reorientation of literary aesthetics. Over the past decade (2015-2025), Indonesian literary aesthetics have undergone a significant shift. The previously dominant universal orientation has shifted toward emphasizing local elements as the primary foundation for literary expression. This shift not only reflects changing creative tastes but also indicates a transformation in the curation and distribution of literary works, particularly by influential actors in centers of cultural production.
Kata Kunci : Penulis Lombok, Arena Produksi Kultural, Pierre Bourdieu