Nuril Basri, an author from Indonesia, had a two-month residency at Rimbun Dahan in April-May 2025.
About the Author
Nuril Basri is an Indonesian writer whose work blends tragicomedy, autofiction, bildungsroman, and offbeat storytelling. His novels have been translated into English, Malay, and French. In 2023, his novel Le Rat d’égout won the Grand Prix du Roman Gay Traduit in France. He has been supported by institutions such as the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, the National Centre for Writing in Norwich, the Literarisches Colloquium Berlin, and others. He is currently working on his 10th novel.
www.nurilbasri.com
Instagram.com/nurilbasri
About the Residency
Swimming, and Naked Behind My Words
During my time at Rimbun Dahan, I’ve come to see swimming as a way to free my mind, letting my thoughts move and settle like water itself.
Swimming also a ritual that mirrors my writing process, where I strip away layers of comfort (my clothes, my façade, my tolerance) to uncover something more vulnerable, more fully myself. Almost naked, without shame.
This project is my way of peeling off what I usually hide behind, much like how swimming strips me down to just my body, just myself. The way swimming allows me to be fully in my body, this novel allows me to be fully in my voice.
My novel-in-progress is an exploration of identity, power dynamics, pain, queerness, and the working class. It is a sequel to my novel Le Rat d’égout (2023).
At the open studio, I will be reading one of the chapters I wrote during my residency at Rimbun Dahan, followed by a discussion about everything else. An intimate little gathering.
