Joko Pinurbo

Philipus Joko Pinurbo (11 May 1962 – 27 April 2024), commonly known by the nickname Jokpin, was an Indonesian poet. His works were deemed innovative for their use of humour and everyday objects, as well as simple language, to touch on contemporary social issues. His poems, which are spread amongst various media as well as over a dozen collections, have been described as amongst the most widely read of Indonesian poetry.

Life and career Joko Pinurbo was born on 11 May 1962 in Sukabumi, West Java, as the son of an elementary school teacher. After completing his elementary school education in Sukabumi, he moved to Sleman, where he completed his secondary education at the SMP Sanjaya Babadan. While attending the Peter Canisius Minor Seminary Mertoyudan in Magelang, he began writing poetry. Interested in continuing his exploration of literature, he enrolled at the Department of Language and Literature at the Sanata Dharma Institute of Teacher Training and Education, from which he graduated in 1987. and serving as the editor of Sadhar, a magazine published by Sanata Dharma University. He also worked at PT Grasindo Yogyakarta. while volunteering in several private institutions and supporting the journal Poetry. However, he was also frustrated; he felt he suffered a deadlock and felt desperate because there were no progress in his poem writing. He burned three bundles of his poems in the 1990s. After extensive reflection, he published his first collection, Celana, in 1999.

Pinurbo died at Panti Rapih Hospital in Yogyakarta, on 27 April 2024, a day after being admitted. He was 61. For several days prior, he had been complaining of difficulty breathing. He left behind a wife, Nurnaeni Amperawati Firmina, and two children.

Works and analysis Pinurbo's work has been published in various newspapers, magazines, journals, anthologies and books. Pinurbo's editor, Mirna Yulistianti of the Kompas Gramedia Group, described him as one of contemporary Indonesia's best poets – alongside Sapardi Djoko Damono. Richard Oh, the founder of the Khatulistiwa Literary Award (Kusala Sastra Khatulistiwa), described Pinurbo as "rare and unique in his simple language, yet characterized by a tongue-in-cheek wit and use of metaphors – clearly a departure from traditional poetry and a response to the frequently made international criticism that Indonesia's poetry lacks irony." columns-list|colwidth=25em| Celana (1999) He published a novel, Srimenanti, in 2019 and a short story collection, Tak Ada Asu di Antara Kita, in 2023. This was followed by Borrowed Body & Other Poems, translated by Aveling and Helga Blazy, in 2015. Works by Pinurbo have also been translated into German and Mandarin.

Awards In recognition of his work, Pinurbo received many awards, such as the 2001 Jakarta Arts Council's Best Poetry Book Award, the 2001 Lontar Literary Award, the Sih Award for Best Poetry, the 2002 and 2014 Language Agency Literature Award, and the Yogyakarta Governor Anugerah Kebudayaan in 2019. Tempo identified him as the Literature Figure of 2001 and 2012. he won the award again in 2015.