Theodora Sarah Abigail

Theodora Sarah Abigail (born April 3, 1998) is a Chinese-Indonesian writer.[1] She is best known for her personal narrative essays, several of which have been published by major feminist publications within Indonesia and abroad. Her work, written in English and code-switch, marks her as one of a growing number of young Indonesian writers dubbed "third culture kids" by the Jakarta Globe--[2] a new generation of artists who juggle the two languages.

Theodora Sarah Abigail
Born (1998-04-03) April 3, 1998
Jakarta, Indonesia
OccupationWriter
NationalityUSA, Chinese-Indonesian
Period2014–present
GenreNarrative essays, poetry
Website
theodorasarahabigail.com

Her first book, In The Hands of a Mischievous God, is a collection of narrative essays about culture, Chinese-Indonesian life, and love[3]. It was published in 2017 by KPG Gramedia, and is part of a 3-book collection released by the publisher that also includes Familiar Messes by Gratiagusti Chananya Rompas and I Am My Own Home by Isyana Artharini. In The Hands of a Mischievous God was reprinted for a second time in August 2018.

Personal life

Theodora Abigail was born in Jakarta, Indonesia to a Chinese-Indonesian mother and Chinese-Malaysian father. In 1999, Abigail's mother fled to the United States, as a response to the May 1998 riots of Indonesia and stigma of being a single, unmarried parent. Abigail's tenuous relationship with her mother is explored throughout her essays: she has described them "as a way of healing from childhood traumas".[4]

In 2001, she moved to the United States to join her mother, who had married a Chinese-Indonesian man. As a teenager, Abigail became a naturalized U.S. citizen. She has three younger siblings.

After graduating from high school, Abigail moved back to Jakarta in 2015. She became active in the Indonesian literary community, and married Jonathan Erik Dermawan in 2016. They have one daughter.[5]

Activism

Theodora has written about Chinese-Indonesian culture and about her life as a teenaged mother for Atlas Obscura, Tempest Mag, and Greatist. In In The Hands of a Mischievous God, she speaks openly about topics like premarital sex, teen pregnancy, and gender equality, a clear testament to the changing literary scene in Indonesia[6]. Her online essays, published in Magdalene, also discuss sexual harassment and female empowerment.[7]

Since 2014, she has been involved in grassroots literary and feminist movements, performing poetry at @america, the U.S. Embassy's American cultural center located in Jakarta, and regularly publishing columns and essays for various online publications.[8][9]

  • Don't Ask For Permission (Interview, 2018)[10]
  • Meet the Man Behind Indonesia’s Chicken Church (Reporting, 2018)[11]
  • The Street Harassment that Led to My Lesson in Bravery (Narrative Essay, 2016)[12]
  • How We Built The House (Lyrical Essay, 2015)[13]

References
  1. "About Theodora Abigail". www.theodorasarahabigail.com. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  2. Sarahtika, Dhania. "Is Indonesian Literature Written in English Still Indonesian Literature?".
  3. "Self-Portrait Series Book Launch". Penerbit KPG. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  4. "Author Review". Goodreads Indonesia. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  5. "My Life As a Teen Mom Doesn't Look the Way You'd Think". Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  6. Sarahtika, Alexander Kusumapradja. "Cerita 6 Penulis Perempuan Tentang Hari Buku Nasional". Cosmopolitan Indonesia.
  7. "Dear Ridwan Kamil, Remove Yourself from Your Wife's Narrative". Magdalene Magazine.
  8. "Noise Worth Hearing".
  9. "@america".
  10. "Hot Chicks With Big Brains Issue #6".
  11. "Meet the Man Behind Indonesia's Chicken Church". Atlas Obscura.
  12. "The Street Harassment that Led to My Lesson in Bravery". Magdalene Magazine.
  13. "How We Built The House". Murmur Journal.
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