Platform Writers and the Production of Digital Literature: The Professionalism of Female Pesantren Novelists in Indonesia

Abstract

The new global genres of “chick lit” and “teen lit” in the early twenty-first century led to the rise of a new generation of Muslim women writers in Indonesia. They gained public attention, particularly from teen readers, by publishing Islamic novels and popular pesantren (Islamic boarding school) novels. Focusing on two online platforms for digital literature, the Komunitas Bisa Menulis and Halaqah 1001 Aksara as case studies, this study employs online observation of the platforms, content analysis of the works, and interviews with three young Muslim women writers from the pesantren tradition to explore their experiences of embracing socio-religious changes and technological developments in Indonesia. The article aims to answer three questions. Firstly, how and why do Muslim women writers from the pesantren tradition choose to publish their works on online platforms? Secondly, what are the predominant themes, genres and ideological messages present in their writing? And finally, to what extent do these platforms benefit women in developing their professionalism?