Jakarta Deputy Governor, Rano Karno, officially opened the Jakarta International Literary Festival 2025 on Thursday (11/13) evening at the Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM) Theater Plaza, Menteng, Central Jakarta.

The festival with the theme "The Homeland in Our Bodies" is being held until Sunday (11/16), featuring a variety of activities and attended by writers from six countries.

"Tonight, in front of writers from Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan, Iran, Germany, Ukraine, and other countries, we declare something simple yet firm," he expressed.

He explained, this is a form of affirmation that Jakarta is not just a concrete city, but also a city of conversation, imagination, and a city that believes literature can heal, challenge, and reignite conscience.

According to him, the choice of the theme "The Homeland Within Our Bodies" depicts that homeland is not merely a geographical expanse, but something deeper—an memory, a wound, a language, a hope that we carry within our own bodies.

He said that during the times of genocide, climate crisis, conquest, and global capitalism tearing through human living spaces, literature serves as our way of remembering what it means to be human.

He emphasized that he stands on the stage of activities not only as the Deputy Governor, but also as part of a city that is writing a new chapter approaching its five hundredth anniversary.

"Jakarta is a city that believes literacy is not just about reading and writing, but an effort to nurture mental well-being," he concluded.

So far, the Jakarta government has been striving to expand literacy initiatives through various programs, such as reading parks, digital libraries, public reading spaces until late at night, and various initiatives in schools.

He hoped that this festival could become a home for necessary dialogue for the wounded and a lantern for those seeking their way home.

"I officially open the Jakarta International Literacy Festival 2025. Happy celebrating literature, happy rediscovering ourselves through words," he added.

As information, JILF 2025 includes events such as the Authors’ Forum featuring 23 Indonesian writers from regions such as Bireuen, Boyolali, Singkawang, Larantuka, Mamuju, and Paniai, as well as four international writers.

In addition, there is the Reading Night Program, featuring readings by 11 authors, as well as Grow and Spread (Live Mural), which showcases mural creation by six artists.

The festival also features a variety of collaborative programs, a literacy community market, a book bazaar, book launches, discussions on current issues, and a word performance as the closing.