The Secret Document

A young Indonesian man named Talib Agian becomes an unwitting participant in a smuggling plot involving a mysterious letter. Why does he receive messages using a false name, and who are the gang members shadowing him from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur and Penang? Is this a criminal scheme, or a political conspiracy, threatening Talib Agian’s fate and fortunes? The Secret Document is the first-ever title from the genre known as Medan novels to appear in English translation. Published in the pre-independence years in North Sumatra, Medan novels reflected the era’s nationalist movements promoting anti-imperialism and anti-colonialism, and represented an antithesis to the cultural domination exercised by the Batavia-based Dutch colonial government. Spurring activity of independent local publishers, Medan novels helped spread literacy among the broad public, bringing together writers and readers from across the diverse archipelago. Translated by Mary Zurbuchen, The Secret Document is both a fast-moving adventure and fascinating picture of past times.