NEARLY EIGHT YEARS since Saman was published in Indonesia, taking the book world there by storm, Ayu Utami has seen immense changes in her life. Once an unknown journalist, her debut novel has sold more than 150,000 copies and been reprinted 34 times in its original language. Saman is now a cause celebre - and its outspoken 37-year-old author is sought after by an Indonesian media hungry for her frank commentary.
Now available in English, the novel, set against the backdrop of former president Suharto's iron-fist rule in the 1990s, follows the friendship of four young women and its protagonist, Saman, a Catholic priest turned human rights activist.
It's a tale of both sexual and political awakening. Laila's quest for love is interlocked with the idealistic bravery of Saman as he and a group of villagers take on a military-backed plantation company.
Saturated in references to Christianity - Ayu was raised a Catholic - the book touches on such taboos as extra-marital affairs, and relations between Christians and Muslims, and those between people of Indonesian and Chinese descent.
'I'm often interviewed about the latest issues in society,' says Ayu in a laid-back cafe in downtown Jakarta. 'Especially those related to freedom of expression and morality. I always use this opportunity to be as incisive as possible.'
Ayu was the first female writer in Indonesia who talked openly about sex and sexuality - topics traditionally off limits for women. She says that Saman, which won the Prince Claus Award in 2000, is both politically and sexually inspired.