Alberta Natasia Adji (Tasia) completed a PhD in creative writing at ECU.
Congratulations are in order for Edith Cowan University (ECU) alumna Alberta Natasia Adji (Tasia) who is publishing a new book, The Longing with Penguin Southeast Asia.
Tasia completed a PhD in creative writing at ECU in 2023 with her doctoral thesis, The fragmented self the longing (novel) and intergenerational relations in a Chinese Indonesian family (exegesis). Her doctoral thesis is the main component of her new book.
Tasia said that The Longing is a family tale of love, loss, turbulence narrated from the eyes of a young woman against the anti-Chinese sentiment political backdrop from the 1950s to the 2010s in East Java, Indonesia.
"The Longing tells the lived experiences of three generations of Chinese Indonesian women – my late grandmother portrayed as Ah Lam, my mother as Ming Zhu and myself as Dido – that spans from the 1950s to the 2010s," said Tasia.
"It traces the intertwined lives of these three female protagonists and their close family members, friends, relatives, and neighbours as they grow up, raise children, become working women and thus cultural negotiators against the dynamic political background of Muslim-populated Indonesia and anti-Chinese sentiment."
Tasia was also awarded the 2023 School of Arts and Humanities Research Medal for the quality of her doctoral research thesis.
"During my PhD, I was able to gain multiple resources (both academic and narrative) from the library, I received wonderful support and supervision for my writing project, and I connected with other writers who were on the same doctoral journey," said Tasia.
Pursuing further study at ECU
Naturally drawn to the multi-faceted complexities of the human condition, Tasia has decided to pursue further study at ECU by enrolling in nursing this year.
"I've always thought that nursing is a very interesting profession as you’re trained to be very hands-on and knowledgeable about illnesses and ailments," said Tasia.
"You are conditioned to meet people and help them while learning heaps about the clinical aspect, as well as communication and time management.
"I feel very privileged to be able to reach out to these individuals and learn their unique stories.
"I chose to take up nursing at ECU because I know that I'm in such good hands with the flexible online learning, the vast access of academic resources, the high-quality lecturers, as well as the cosy environment for studying."
The Longing is available for pre-order releasing in August 2025. Find out more about studying creative writing or nursing at ECU.
