A. Junaidi – The 81st birthday of internationally acclaimed writer and multiple Nobel Prize nominee Pramoedya Ananta Toer was celebrated with zest and spirit on Feb. 6.

Taking place at Taman Ismail Marzuki arts center, the celebration was organized by a variety of groups – such as art student, street singer, punk musician as well as gay and lesbian groups – under a single theme: Pram, Books and the Younger Generation.

That evening, Pram, as he is affectionately called, received many birthday wishes, including from local artist and activist Rieke Diah Pitaloka who also read her poems for the maestro.

A local punk band, Marjinal, performed original songs that were inspired by the author's works, and hailed Pram as Datuk Punk – the grandfather of punk.

Accompanied by poet Taufik Rahzen, Pram walked onstage and thanked the younger generation for organizing his birthday celebration.

"I could not pay for my 81st birthday celebration. Thank you," said Pram, who was incarcerated during the 1960s as a political prisoner on Buru island without trial for years, for his alleged association with Lekra, the cultural wing of the Indonesian Communist Party.

Pram, who has lost his hearing in one ear because of abusive treatment, revealed that he had requested Rp 1.5 billion for filming rights to his books. Production is expected to begin soon. The announcement triggered criticism from women's activist Yeni Rossa Damayanti, who called the author a capitalist for selling his work.

However, many guests defended Pram, saying that the amount was small was compared to what other authors received for filming rights to their works. "It's your right to criticize. The public can criticize me. But it's my right to make the (final) decision," Pram replied.

An exhibition of Pram's bookcovers in several languages, such as Chinese, Dutch, English, Russian and Spanish was also held to commemorate his birthday.