Perpusnas turns ancient manuscripts into comics for young readers

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3 hours ago

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The National Library of Indonesia (Perpusnas) said it is bringing historical heritage closer to younger generations by adapting ancient Nusantara manuscripts into more contemporary formats, such as comics.

Aditia Gunawan, Head of the Nusantara Manuscript Management Working Group at Perpusnas, said his team is preparing 50 comics based on Nusantara manuscripts selected for their historical and cultural value, including manuscripts already listed in the Memory of the World register.

“These manuscripts are already part of the Memory of the World. So if the world knows about them, shouldn’t Indonesians know too?” he said here on Monday.

Gunawan said the 50 comics cover a number of Nusantara manuscripts and stories, including La Galigo by Syekh Yusuf Al-Makassari, the story of Tuanku Imam Bonjol, and the Panji tales.

The program is also aimed at reaching readers outside Indonesia. Of the 50 reading materials being prepared, 25 have been translated into English.

The selection of manuscripts takes into account how the stories can be packaged to be more easily understood by children. As such, the content is not presented in a heavy or dense manner, but developed into stories close to everyday life.

He cited depictions showing simple activities, such as a child going to the market with their mother or picking fruit with their grandmother, so that children can become familiar with the manuscripts’ content without having to directly confront the difficult, ancient text format.

“We introduce aspects that are friendly and close to everyday life. We want the whole world to know what the stories of the Nusantara are like, what Syekh Yusuf was like, and so on,” Gunawan said.

Perpusnas is also in communication with UNESCO so that the comics and children’s books based on Nusantara manuscripts can be distributed through UNESCO’s platform.

The comics are being developed in partnership with the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), especially with its visual communication design and fine arts departments. Perpusnas librarians also play a role in curating the content to ensure it remains accurate to historical sources.

“We curate it to ensure accuracy and precision in terms of sourcing,” Gunawan said.