Wisran Hadi

{{Short description|Indonesian writer}} {{More citations needed|date=July 2025}} {{Infobox writer | image = Wisran Hadi portrait.png | image_size = | alt = | caption = | pseudonym = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1945|07|27}} | birth_place = Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia | death_date = {{Death date and age|2011|06|28|1945|07|27}} | death_place = Padang, West Sumatra | resting_place = | occupation = | language = Indonesian | citizenship = | education = | alma_mater = | period = | genre = Novels, plays, short stories | subject = | movement = | notableworks = ''Four Malay Plays'', ''Puti Bungsu'', ''Jalan Lurus'', ''Orang-Orang Blanti'' | spouse = | partner = | children = | relatives = | awards = Southeast Asian Writers Award (2000) | signature = | signature_alt = | module = | website =  | portaldisp = }}

'''Wisran Hadi''' (born 27 June 1945, Padang, West Sumatra – died 28 June 2011, Padang) was an Indonesian playwright and novelist. He won the Southeast Asian Writers Award in 2000.

==Life and education==

Wisran was born in Lapai, Padang on 27 July 1945, the third of thirteen children. His father, H. Darwas Idris, was the Grand Imam of the Muhammadiyah Mosque in Padang and an expert in Indonesian interpretation of Islamic art. Wisran attended school in Padang, then completed religious teacher training there. He then studied at the Indonesian Fine Arts Academy (ASRI) in Yogyakarta, graduating in 1969.<ref name="badan">{{cite web |title=Wisran Hadi |url=https://badanbahasa.kemendikdasmen.go.id/tokoh-detail/3301/wisran-hadi |website=Badan Bahasa |access-date=19 July 2025 |date=7 February 2022}}</ref>

His interest in writing developed after he returned to Padang in 1973.<ref name="hatley" /> He won the DKJ Playwriting Competition (a script writing competition held by the Jakarta Arts Council) for the first time in 1976, going on to win it many more times. He took part in the International Writing Program at Iowa University, United States, in 1977, and also observed modern theatre in both the US and Japan.<ref name="badan" />

He was a guest lecturer at the Faculty of Letters at Andalas University and INS Kayu Tanam.<ref name="badan" />

He was married to poet Upita Agustina and had five children.<ref name="badan" />

==Career== Wisran wrote more than fifty plays, five novels, a collection of poetry, and a number of short stories.<ref name="badan" />

His dramatic work both drew on and subverted Randai, the folk theatre of the Minangkabau people.<ref name="hatley">{{cite journal |last1=Hatley |first1=Barbara |title=Theatre and the Politics of National/ Regional Identity: Some Sumatran Examples |journal=Review of Indonesian and Malay Affairs |date=1991 |volume=25 |issue=2 |pages=1-18 |url=https://malaycivilization.com.my/omeka/files/original/919ef802affa208d0a0cbbfcbb8cdca4.pdf}}</ref> He was playwright/director of the Padang group Teater Bumi, which represented Indonesia in the 1990 Festival of Indonesia in the USA.<ref name="cohen">{{cite web |last1=Cohen |first1=Matthew Isaac |title=Look at the Clouds: Migration and West Sumatran ‘Popular’ Theatre |url=https://repository.royalholloway.ac.uk/file/df8cdd75-d82b-c43b-6c8b-be52abbbc6a4/1/CohenClouds.pdf |website=Royal Holloway University of London |access-date=19 July 2025}}</ref> His plays often employ dance and song to evoke the world of legend and spoken dialogue to voice the contemporary world.<ref name="cohen" /> His 1978 play ''Puti Bungsu'' (youngest princess) attracted both praise and controversy, including the threat of action from the adat council.<ref name="hatley" /> Other notable plays include ''Simpang'' (1977), ''Jalan Lurus'' (1985) and ''Four Malay Plays'' (2000), which was awarded the Southeast Asian Writers Award.<ref name="badan" /><ref name="cohen" />

His novels include ''Di Pinggir Kota, di Pinggir Kita'' (1977, on the edge of us) and ''Orang-Orang Blanti'' (2000, the people of Blanti). His short stories include "Sore Itu Daun-Daun Mahoni Gugur Lagi" (1977, that afternoon the mahogany leaves fell again) and "Catatan Kumal Si Malin Kundang" (1986, Malin Kundang's dirty notes).<ref name="badan" />

==Awards== He won the DKJ Playwriting Competition in 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1997, and 1998. In 1991, he received an exemplary artist award from the Padang Level II Regional Government. Also in 1991 he received a literature award from the Language Centre for his play ''Jalan Lurus''.<ref name="badan" />

In 2000 he won the Southeast Asian Writers Award for ''Empat Sandiwara Orang Melayu'' (four Malay plays, 2000).<ref name="badan" />

==Legacy== The Wisran Hadi Award is named after him. Recipients include Heru Joni Putra in 2019.<ref>{{cite web |title=Heru Joni Putra |url=https://indonesiandancefestival.id/en/heru-joni-putra/ |website=Indonesian Dance Festival |access-date=19 July 2025}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{in lang|id}} [http://pusatbahasa.kemdiknas.go.id/lamanv42/?q=detail_tokoh/1158 Wisran Hadi] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120424231839/http://pusatbahasa.kemdiknas.go.id/lamanv42/?q=detail_tokoh%2F1158 |date=2012-04-24 }} profile page on the Ministry of National Languages Institute * {{in lang|id}} [http://www.tempointeraktif.com/hg/sastra_dan_budaya/2011/06/28/brk 0.20110628 to 343,715, id.html writers Wisran Hadi Dies] Tempo Interactive, accessed June 28, 2011

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hadi, Wisran}} Category:1945 births Category:2011 deaths Category:Indonesian writers Category:International Writing Program alumni