Korrie Layun Rampan, author and politician, Died at 62

Korrie Layun Rampan was born on August 17, 1953, and died on November 19, 2015.

He was an Indonesian novelist, short story writer, poet, literary critic, journalist, and politician.

Born in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, Korrie became interested in literature while in elementary school, writing numerous short stories and poems.

While in university in Yogyakarta, Korrie joined the Persada Study club and began publishing his works in numerous national and regional newspapers.

In 1976 his debut novel, Upacara, received second place in the Jakarta Arts Council Novel Competition.

Korrie wrote several hundred books, both fiction and non-fiction, and served as a council member for West Kutai Regency.

Korrie Layun Rampan was born in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, on 17 August 1953 to Paulus Rampan, a retired sergeant in the Indonesian Army, and Martha Renihay.

He completed his elementary school studies in four years; it was during his fourth year that he first began writing, inspired to do so after reading Hamka’s novel Tenggelamnya Kapal van der Wijck.

In junior high school, Korrie began reading such literary magazines as Sastra, Horison, Tjerpen, and Budaja Djaja, and throughout senior high school he wrote poetry for the school’s wall magazine.

Korrie was also a presenter with the “Pancaran Sastra” program broadcast by the Samarinda branch of Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI).

Owing to his academic prowess, Korrie received a scholarship from the provincial government, which covered his junior high school, senior high school, and university education.

Korrie graduated from senior high school in Samarinda in 1970, moving to the city of Yogyakarta in Java to continue his studies.

He had graduated from the Academy of Finance and Banking there in 1981.

Korrie later continued to Gadjah Mada University’s Faculty of Social and Political Sciences.

While in the city he became involved with the Persada Studi Klub, a group established in 1969 by such writers as Umbu Landu Paranggi, Iman Budhi Santosa, and Ragil Suwarna Pragolapati to allow young authors to publish in a dedicated section of the weekly Pelopor Yogya‍‍ ’​‍s culture column.

Korrie also began publishing his work in newspapers such as Kompas and Suara Karya as well as magazines such as Horison.

He married Hernawati on 10 July 1973. Their marriage produced six children.

Korrie Rampan passed away on 19 November 2015 at the Cikini Hospital in Jakarta after a long illness.