The Javanese Literature Study Programme, Faculty of Languages and Arts (FBS), Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES), will host a public lecture and book discussion entitled Precarious Past in Premodern Java on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, from 9.00 to 10.00 a.m. Western Indonesian Time (WIB). The event will be held online via Zoom and is open to the public.
The lecture will feature Dr Wayan Jarrah Sastrawan from the Australian National University (ANU), who will discuss his latest book, Precarious Past in Premodern Java. The publication offers perspectives on understanding the historical and cultural dynamics of premodern Java, particularly in relation to uncertainty, change, and vulnerability.
The discussion will explore how Java’s past can be examined through the complexities and uncertainties that shaped its historical development. These perspectives are expected to enrich scholarly interpretations of Javanese history and encourage further dialogue on emerging approaches to Javanese studies.
The session will be moderated by Dr Dhoni Zustiyantoro, a lecturer in the Javanese Literature Study Programme at FBS UNNES, who will also serve as a discussant. Participants will have the opportunity to engage with the book’s central arguments and consider their relevance to the study of Javanese literature, history, and culture.
The event forms part of the Javanese Literature Study Programme’s ongoing efforts to broaden academic perspectives, foster critical scholarly discussion, and facilitate international knowledge exchange. By bringing together scholars and members of the wider academic community, the programme seeks to encourage interdisciplinary approaches to understanding Java’s rich and complex past.
Students, lecturers, researchers, cultural practitioners, and members of the public are warmly invited to attend the online event through the following Zoom link: https://unnes.id/GL_Jarrah.
Those interested in exploring the publication ahead of the discussion can access Precarious Past in Premodern Java at https://luminosoa.org/books/m/10.1525/luminos.272.
Through this public lecture and book discussion, FBS UNNES hopes to promote critical engagement with Javanese history and culture, while strengthening academic dialogue and international collaboration in the field of Javanese studies.
