Endorsements

“For me, much of what Bondan has produced is more enjoyable to read than novels full of philosophy or stories about social problems whose contents may be much more valuable and beneficial but do not grab my interest from the start. What I like about Bondan is that he comes back to the most basic issue for all stories: the ability to tell a tale that keeps your interest from start to finish. That’s what saved the girl Scheherazade from execution by the king – her ability to mesmerise him for 1001 nights with her stories. It is this too that keeps us reading all kinds of great novels.

– Goenawan Mohamad

Author and director of Komunitas Salihara arts centre

Bondan Winarno is a skilled writer in the sense that his works are guaranteed to be a pleasure to read, to be informative and classy - the latter of which is often missing from the works of other authors. We can find it in his fiction, non-fiction, and his investigative reporting as a journalist. Operating within the realism genre, this short story collection is no exception. Anyone who reads it will be richly rewarded.

– Seno Gumira Ajidarma

Author of Dunia Sukab (Sukab’s World)

A Long Evening in Central Park invites me to explore beyond the boundaries of time and space, with story after story that is far more than an account of events. So the background of a story or when it was written is no longer important. The style of language is light, flowing and frames the narration which is full of nostalgia for the simplicity of story-telling. My evening did not make it to nightfall but rather stopped at twilight. It is difficult to leave this collection of stories before reaching the final section that is bound by surprise, questions and emptiness.

– Maria Hartiningsih

Journalist and author