Hi everyone! My name is Catur, and I was born and raised in Central Java. I moved to Bali in 2011 but left the island in 2016 before returning in 2018. Bali feels more than a home to me, and maybe that’s why my name feels like a premonition. Catur means four, both in the Balinese and Javanese languages. It is spoken like ‘c’ in chess, which is also the meaning of my name in Indonesian. 

I have been writing fiction in Indonesian for over 12 years, and in 2020, I won a prestigious Wattys Award from Wattpad in one of the main categories in the Indonesian language. Being part of the On Bali project is my first professional endeavor as a copywriter. I’m looking forward to contributing and using my writing experience as the cornerstone of all my future publications on On Bali. 

Picking up a good book is essential for me. You can often see me sitting on the beach with a book in hand while waiting for the sun to go down, as I love reading as much as writing. Other things I do to de-stress are baking and watching movies, primarily classic films from the 30s to 70s, whether Hollywood-made or European cinema. 

Equality, in different shapes or forms, is something I’m passionate about. In 2014, I got to spend ten months in Sardinia, Italy, as a volunteer and a part of the European Voluntary Service project, funded by the European Commission. The experience was a turning point in my life as it contributed to shaping who I am. As much as I enjoy exciting conversations with people, spending time by myself is something I equally look forward to.