NEWSMAGELANG. ID-IN THE MIDST OF A lively literacy campaign to increase the spirit of reading at this time, a young man looks engrossed and serious about serving customers at a café on the slopes of Mount Sumbing. Precisely at the Bestie café in Bandongan Village, Magelang Regency.
Who would have thought that the young man was Ikko Williams. A novelist who has a big name in his beloved country. Every time people write their names while googling, then the name of the young man from Rejosari Village, Bandongan District, will appear along with a series of works that have reached 18 books.
Such a large number of works were written in less than 6 years. From 2017 to the present. So one can imagine how productive the single young man is.
Her debut novel was published in 2017 titled Marry Me in Harrisonburg. Then followed by Me Versus Spatula in 2018. His novels also slide one by one from time to time. These include:
1.Flame of Love in Dim Heart, May 2019
2.Bang My Heart, June 2019
3.SYAHEER, The Charming Guest, March 2020
4.The Pastry of The Paradise, December 2020
5.Beauty and the Big , December 2020,
6.A Badboy Called Reno, January 2021,
7.Its Me Skyla, February 2021,
8.Oh My Frans, March 2021,
9.Claralivia, May 2021,
10.Bow Down for Love, June 2021
11.I’m Jealous of the Rain, August 2021,
12.The Charming Guest, September 2021,
13.Damn, I Miss YouÃ’, September 2021,
14.Clarissa Love Recipe, November 2021
15.If We Are A Pair Of Doves, January 2022,
Since elementary school
Ikko Williams was born in Rejosari Village, Bandongan District, Magelang Regency on September 27, 1994. His parents worked as farmers in the village. His writing hobby began when he was in elementary school. At that time I always wrote on a piece of paper. Then I gave it to friends, he recalled.
The hobby continued until finishing school at SMK. I majored in automotive. So it’s not connected with my hobby. School engineering, speaking of his work, said the Windusari State Vocational School alumnus with a smile.
His hobby of writing stories, he said, was triggered by his penchant for reading short stories. “In the past, my sister often brought home children’s magazines that were quite popular at that time. I always read the stories. I was obsessed with writing short stories,” he explained.
To Bandung
After graduating from SMK, Ikko migrated to the capital of West Java, Bandung. Worked in a printing house in that City. His hobby of writing seems to be growing more and more flourishing in a new place of residence. The reason is, the work he did in printing allowed him to associate with many writers.
“At that time I met with the writing community. I am always present in the cafes where they gather. Yes, many lessons were learned because the community of writers is very large. There are many lessons learned,” he explained.
It was because of this association that this overseas young man made his debut in the world of writing. Novel after novel was created. Then his work was born as many as 18 novels. That’s not counting Anthology, which I co-authored with many authors, the novelist said.
From Bandung to Bandongan
In 2019, Covid 19 was born. A pandemic that has changed the course of life for many people around the world. Ikko is no exception. He decided to return to his village after a long time of wandering. From Bandung to Bandongan.
“At that time the pandemic was horrified,” he recalls. But his productivity did not decrease because he lived in the village. He continues to work and work.
In the village, Ikko wanted to liven up the atmosphere of Bandung City in Bandongan by pioneering a Bestie café. The hope is that the writers will gather to the café so that they can exchange ideas. But his efforts have not shown results. “It’s quiet in Magelang. Maybe there are not as many writers as Bandung,” he said.
Why like to write romance stories? The young man’s answer was simple and concise, “I want to entertain many people. And pleasing people is happiness in itself,” he concluded smiling to close the conversation.