They Say I'm a Monkey is a collection of short-stories from the young Indonesian writer Djenar Maesa Ayu. In the eleven stories, Djenar turns footnotes of urban Jakarta life, and the inner lives of the city's inhabitants, into stories that keep in their narratives both the magic and the realism of the place. Stories that will crawl out from the margins into the centre of your conscience. When They Say I'm a Monkey first appeared in Bahasa Indonesia in 2002, it shocked readers with its liberal use of sex, both as a central theme in many of the stories and as the template for Djenar imageries.
Author
Djenar Maesa Ayu started her writings on many national newspapers. Her first book "Mereka Bilang Saya Monyet!" has been reprinted more than 8 times and shortlisted on Khatulistiwa Literary Award 2003. Her short story “Waktu Nayla” awarded the best Short Story by Kompas in 2003, while “Menyusu Ayah” become The Best Short Story by Jurnal Perempuan and translated to English by Richard Oh with title “Suckling Father”. Her second book "Jangan Main-main (dengan Kelaminmu)" was launch February 2005 and also received great success. The amazing part is this book reprinted two days after the launching. Other books by Djenar: * Nayla * Cerita Pendek Tentang Cerita Cinta Pendek
