Norman Erikson Pasaribu is a queer Indonesian writer and poet. Their story and poetry collections have been nominated for multiple prizes in their home country and abroad, including the PEN Translates Award and the Republic of Consciousness Prize. 

Pasaribu’s poems have appeared in various media outlets, including Asymptote, Modern Poetry in Translation and the Asia Literary Review. 

Happy Stories, Mostly was translated by Tiffany Tsao and longlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2022. 

Tiffany Tsao is an American translator of Indonesian fiction and poetry. She’s written three books of her own and translated six books by Indonesian authors. 

Happy Stories, Mostly is a tragicomic collection of 12 short stories, where queer characters are placed in situations and plots that are conventionally filled by hetero characters. From a mother trying to seek solace after her son’s suicide, to an employee navigating a new workplace, which is a department of Heaven devoted to archiving unanswered prayers.

From a reading guide and extract, to illuminating features, find out more about our July Monthly Spotlight here.