Tanggal 30 Mei kemarin, saya berkesempatan untuk meluncurkan buku pertama saya, 'Gerbang Nuswantara'. Baru saya tahu belakangan kalau tidak semua penulis meluncurkan bukunya secara resmi dan bisa diliput media, jadi saya merasa sangat beruntung mendapatkan penerbit yang mendukung penuh buku saya dan menyiapkan acara peluncuran ini, mencarikan pembicara dan moderator yang tepat untuk membuat acaranya berjalan seru dan santai.

Jam 2 siang, Gramedia Grand Indonesia, East Mall lt.2 mulai dipenuhi dengan pengunjung dan beberapa sudah duduk manis di kursi yang disediakan pihak toko buku. Saya kedatangan beberapa tokoh penting yang membuat saya merasa tersanjung: Pak Harry Soejono, Mas Andris Halim (penulis komik Cakrapolis), Mas Nuranto (Tembi Rumah Budaya Yogya), Mas Anton (Tembi Rumah Budaya Yogya), juga Mr. Stanley Harsha (penulis buku 'Seperti Bulan dan Matahari'--yang bukunya baru rilis dan launching bulan lalu). Saya merasa sangat spesial karenanya.

Akhirnya semua pengisi acara hadir dan acara dimulai, diawali dengan peluncuran buku dengan penyerahan buku dari pihak penerbit yang diwakilkan oleh Mas Atmo, editor saya. Lalu Mas Danie Satrio (pemred majalah Hai) sebagai moderator acara Bedah Buku, dan Dhea Seto (penari & seniman muda) serta Mas Arswendo Atmowiloto (penulis & budayawan) sebagai pembicara mulai mengisi tempat duduk. Saya baru bertemu langsung dengan ketiga tokoh ini kemarin, tanpa basa-basi atau pendekatan sebelumnya. Terus terang, saya merasa grogi. Tapi Mas Danie menenangkan saya, mengajukan pertanyaan-pertanyaan pada para pembicara dan membuat saya tenang sekaligus terpana mendengarkan jawaban-jawaban mereka.

Satu hal yang aneh yang diungkapkan Mas Wendo adalah fakta bahwa beliau pernah membaca buku saya sebelumnya, dengan detail yang presisi sehingga tidak mungkin beliau mendapatkannya dari buku lain--semacam déjà vu, mungkin. Dan beliau bisa hafal alur cerita, karakter tokoh sampai halamannya. "Itulah kekuatan seni," katanya ketika sampai di pertanyaan mengenai keabsahan referensi literatur yang saya gunakan. Saya merasa sangat terhormat melihat betapa Mas Wendo menyukai alur cerita dan pesan yang disampaikan dari buku ini.

Dhea Seto menyatakan hal lainnya mengenai ketertarikannya pada buku saya, sebagai satu dari sangat sedikit buku yang dibacanya. Saya merasa sangat tersanjung dengan kenyataan bahwa dia sangat meresapi buku saya, yang dianggapnya lengkap memuat semua hal, dari budaya dan etika, sampai rumus matematika. Saya terharu ketika Dhea tulus memuji buku ini bukan karena disuruh atau dibayar tapi memang karena dia merasa mirip dengan tokoh Rani dan ada kesamaan perkataan guru tarinya tentang bangsa kita dengan apa yang kutulis di buku Gerbang ini.

Sebenarnya saya merasa sedikit kecewa karena banyak teman dan kenalan yang tidak bisa hadir karena bentrok acara lain atau terjebak macet. Tapi melihat antusiasme pengunjung yang tak sengaja hadir dan tertarik untuk ikut mendengarkan acara bedah buku hingga selesai dan membeli langsung buku saya, saya merasa kembali bersemangat dan takjub, terutama karena buku ini bisa dinikmati oleh budayawan maupun remaja (tua dan muda, dari semua bidang ketertarikan)--alias semua kalangan.

Terima kasih tak terhingga untuk tim Penerbit Buku Kompas dan Gramedia Grand Indonesia yang telah mempersiapkan acara ini, untuk semua pembicara dan moderator yang bersedia hadir dan memeriahkan acara, untuk semua keluarga yang selalu mendukung saya, dan terutama untuk semua yang hadir di acara peluncuran dan bedah buku ini. Buku ini saya persembahkan untuk kalian semua!

Launching & Book Review Event

On May 30th I got a chance to launch my first book, Gateway to Nuswantara. I just knew recently that not all writers have a chance to have his/her book launched officially and being covered by the press, so I felt very lucky to get the publisher that fully support my book and prepare the launching event, finding me the best speaker and moderator that made the event went merry but relaxed.

At 2 p.m., Gramedia Grand Indonesia, East Mall Level 2, was started to crowded with visitors, and some were sitting nicely on the seats prepared by the bookstore. I got some important guests that made me feel honored with their visit: Mr. Harry Soejono, Mr. Andris Halim (author of Cakrapolis comics), Mr. Nuranto (Tembi House of Culture, Yogya) and family, Mr. Anton (Tembi House of Culture, Yogya) and family, also Mr. Stanley Harsha (author of "Like the Moon and the Sun"--whose book just released and launched last month) and wife. I felt so special for this.

Finally all the performers arrived and the event began--started with the book launching. The publisher gave the book symbollicly to me, represented by my editor, Mr. Mahatma Chrysna. After that, Mr. Danie Satrio (chief editor of Hai Magazine) as moderator of Book Review; Ms. Dhea Seto (young dancer & artist) and also Mr. Arswendo Atmowiloto (writer & humanist) as speakers sat next to me. I just met them in persons on the day, without any chit-chat or approach before. The truth is, I felt a little groggy. But Mr. Satrio calmed me, asked questions to the speakers that made me both relaxed and amazed listening to their answers.

One curiosity that came from Mr. Atmowiloto was the fact that he had read my book before, with a precise details that he couldn't got it from other book--some kind of déjà vu, perhaps. And he remembers the plot, the characters to a certain page. "It's the power of art," he answered when he was asked about the legitimation of the literature references I used. I felt so honored to see how Mr. Atmowiloto liked the story and the message I delivered thru the book.

Dhea Seto claimed another thing about her interest on this book, as one of very few books she could finish reading. I felt very flattered by the fact that she impregnated my book so much, that she considered to have everything from the culture and ethics to math formulas. I was touched when Dhea praised the book honestly because she was not told or paid but she really felt a connection with Rani's character and there were some similarities between what her dancing instructor said about our nation with what I wrote in this book.

Actually I felt a little disappointed because many of my friends and acquaintances couldn't make it to attend, due to other events or got stuck in Jakarta's Saturday traffic. But to see the enthusiasm from the store visitors who were there randomly and interested to listen to the book review until the end of the event and finally bought my book, I was back on fire and amazed, especially the fact that the book is enjoyed by both humanists and teenagers (old and young, from various field of interest)--which means all circles. I really hope that this book can be the starting gate of our introduction with the world and civilization of Nuswantara, our own ancestors, and also the introduction gate to our own identity as Indonesian people. I hope this love for culture could spread to the corners of this country and become the beginning of the rise of Indonesia nation in the eyes of the world.

My endless thanks go to the Kompas Book Publisher team and Gramedia Grand Indonesia who had prepared the whole event, to all speakers and moderator who were willing to attend and enliven the launching, to all family who always supporting my back, and especially to all who came at the book launching and review. I present this book to all of you!

Rahayu.