Nuril Basri

Nuril Basri writes tragicomedy in the form of autofiction, bildungsroman, and offbeat stories. His characters range from deeply lonely to subtly eccentric, and always exploring queer themes. His works have been translated into English, French, and Malay. Published works include Not A Virgin (2017), Gula, Gula, Gula (2022), Maya (2024), and more. His novel The Sewer Rat, published in French as Le Rat d'égout (2023), won the Grand Prix du Roman Gay Traduit 2023, awarded for the best gay novel in translation in France.

Nuril has been recognized through several prestigious grants, including those from the British Council, the Robert Bosch Foundation with the Literarisches Colloquium Berlin, and the National Book Committee of Indonesia. He has also been supported by the Gothenburg UNESCO City of Literature in Sweden, ArtHouse Jersey in the Channel Islands, National Centre for Writing in Norwich, among others. Additionally, the British Council highlighted him as one of five Indonesian authors to read now.

Nuril was born in West Java, Indonesia, and raised as a farmer in a staunchly Islamic community. He has held various jobs, from cashier at a mini market to waiter on a cruise ship sailing to Antarctica. He was even a mystery shopper and a secretary for a policeman. He finds humour in everyday life and is inspired by the moon.

The structure of his stories, the quirkiness of his characters, and their peculiarities are the reflection of his queer self—an act of resistance and a rejection of mainstream narratives and expectations imposed upon him.

He has been expanding his artistic practice to include painting and photography alongside writing after recently completing a residency at the Cité internationale des arts in Paris. Nuril is currently working on a new novel with support from The Society of Authors' Grant for Work in Progress (United Kingdom).