Renowned Indonesian poet W.S. Rendra dies

JAKARTA LIFE'S STYLE. Renowned Indonesian poet W.S. Rendra (picture), who also has many fans in Malaysia, died at a hospital here last night after undergoing treatment for a month for coronary heart disease.

The local media reported that Rendra, 74, also known as "Si Burung Merak", died at 10.15pm. He leaves 11 children from three wives, two of whom he had divorced.

Born Willibrodus Surendra Broto Renda, he changed his name to Wahyu Sulaiman Rendra after embracing Islam in August 1970, when he married his second wife Sitoresmi Prabuningrat.

Besides his poems, Rendra was also well-known for his role in the religion-themed film "Al Kautsar" in the 1980s.

He will be buried at Bengkel Teater, Citayam, Depok, near here not far from the grave of his friend Mbah Surip, the popular reggae singer who died last Tuesday, after Friday prayers.

Rendra had received several literary awards, among them the Penghargaan Adam Malik in 1989, SEA Write Award in 1996 and Penghargaan Achmad Bakri in 2006. — Bernama